Falling Into You
by AllBeautyDestroyed
Summary: We'd known each other our entire lives. Time and space didn't matter, she always came back to me. She would always be my everything.
1. I Won't Let Go

**A/N: This is my newest story. If you follow me on twitter that's awesome, if not perhaps you should. Anyway, this story will be much different from my others. It is not overly dramatic and it will move at a very slow but steady pace. This is one of my favorites. I'll continue to work on my other stories but this one will take priority once IWBY is finished. Find me on twitter AViolentEmotion. As always thank you for reading and please review. I like to read what you think. Enjoy!**

I stood in the baggage claim pacing back and forth. Her plane landed a few minutes ago and I was anxious to see her. It had been over a year since we had last seen each other. She lived in New York and since she recently broke off her engagement, she wanted a change of scenery. The last couple of months had taken their toll on her and she needed somewhere to clear her head. I immediately offered her the extra bedroom in my house and surprisingly, she accepted. She had shipped most of her household belongings already. Taylor and Joe helped me clear out space for all of it in the house. We wanted her to feel welcome when she arrived so we unpacked it and added her belongings to ours. It was interesting how everything seemed to match. I guess it was just fates way of telling us we were all meant to cohabitate.

I first met her when we were both seven years old. Back then it was simple, she needed some crayons and I just happened to have some. Our entire relationship was built on the idea that if she needed something, I'd give it to her and vice versa. We grew up together. Boys, first kisses, and everything else in between. As we got older, it got a little more complicated. At least for me it did. I quickly discovered that boys were not really my thing. I think on some level she always knew, but she was always too nice to bring the subject up. In any case the lines of our friendship were always blurred. There was always this underlying spark between us. Neither one of us talked about it, but we both used it to our advantage.

Our junior year of college was a crazy one. We spent our summer in Puerto Rico, and I'd be lying if I said we didn't cross every line that we ever drew. It was the single most insane summer of my life and I will never forget it. She left her mark on me, literally. I woke up after a night of drinking to find her name tattooed across my ribcage. The tattoo itself was beautiful. The font was a very feminine script and it was accented with a pair of red lips. It was probably one of the craziest things I had ever done. It's the kind of story that usually elicits laughter. How many people can say they had their best friends name tattooed across their ribcage? Well, I can. Fucking tequila.

The second she came into view, I couldn't breathe. It was like the all the air had been sucked out of my lungs. She was beautiful. She smiled as soon as she saw me. My hands ached to touch her. My heart beat rapidly in my chest. As soon as she made it to the bottom of the escalator, she ran toward me. I caught her in my arms and spun her around. She laughed and grabbed my face, planting a kiss on my lips.

"I have missed you so much!" She laughed.

"I know the feeling." I smiled.

"I'm starving." She grumbled as she untangled herself from me.

"I can see not much has changed." I smirked. "Let's get your bags and get you home. It's taco Tuesday!"

"Taco Tuesday?" She asked cocking an eyebrow.

"You're gonna find out soon enough."

She laced her fingers with mine as we walked over to the baggage claim. Once we got her luggage, we exited the terminal and walked out to my parked jeep.

"It's so warm." She said as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"All year round. Our place is right on the beach. You're gonna love it Sel." I said as I started the jeep and backed out of the parking space.

"I'm glad I'm here." She said softly.

"Me too." I said as we headed toward the freeway.

We spent the drive home in a comfortable silence. I had removed the jeep's hard top so she was enjoying the San Diego weather. I would steal a glance at her from time to time. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail and put on her Ray Bans. I couldn't help but remember our senior year of high school. She literally looked exactly the same. I remember the way the sunlight would shine on her face as we cruised around on the old back roads in Texas. We'd sing at the top of our lungs like crazy fools. If we didn't know the song we'd make up our own words and laugh until our sides hurt.

I smiled when she reached over and turned the radio up. It's as if she could read my mind. She squealed when she heard one of her favorite songs, _About A Girl_ playing.

"Demi! Sing it to me!" She demanded.

"I don't know Sel..." I teased. "I don't think I remember the words..." I grinned playfully.

"Demiiiiiiiiiii! Pleeeeeeaaaase!" She whined.

I couldn't say no to her. _"I'm not in love, this is not my heart. I'm not gonna waste these words about a girl." _I sang to her as she smiled brilliantly at me.

I used to sing this song to her all the time. She had the same look in her eyes she used to get when we were sixteen. It was somewhere between I want you and you terrify me. I guess some things never change. By the time the song ended we had made it to the house. She was excited to finally be here. It had been a long day of travel for her. Joe was sitting on the porch playing guitar as we pulled up. He quickly put the instrument down and smiled at Selena as she jumped out of the Jeep.

"There she is!" He said excitedly as she ran towards him.

"Joe!" She squealed happily as she crashed into him and hugged him tightly.

"It's so good to see you Sel." He grinned at her. "Come on, lets get you settled." He said draping an arm around her shoulder as he led her inside.

I got out of the Jeep and gathered up her luggage. I could hear her laughing as I made my way into the house. I loved it when she laughed. It gave me life. I had missed her so much. We had kept in contact throughout the years. Surprisingly we were able to maintain a very close friendship despite the long distance. We never went longer than a day without talking to each other. We also made it a point to see each other at least once a year. Now that she lived with me, I wouldn't have to worry about missing her. I carried her suitcases into her room and made my way out to the back porch to see if Taylor needed help.

"You good Tay?" I asked the blonde.

"Yeah. Just finishing up the carne asada." She smiled. "Is Selena here?" She asked.

I nodded. "Yup. You should come meet her. Joe's showing her around the house."

"Let me finish this real quick." She smiled as she turned off the grill and placed the perfectly cooked meat onto a plate.

Once she finished, we walked inside and made our way into the kitchen to find Selena and Joe. Joe was chopping up stuff for the tacos and Selena was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking a beer.

"Didn't take you long to get comfortable." I said as I sat next to her. "This is Taylor." I said.

"Nice to meet you." She said to Taylor with a warm smile.

"You are absolutely stunning!" Taylor gushed which caused Selena to blush.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"I'm so happy you're here!" Taylor said sweetly. "Demi and Joe have told me so much about you."

I could tell Selena was slightly embarrassed. "Good things I hope." She said laughing lightly.

"Of course." Taylor winked.

We all sat down to dinner and spent time catching up and in Taylor and Selena's case, getting to know each other. I watched as my friends laughed and enjoyed each others company. I was a lucky person. I had so much love in my life. They were everything to me. Every so often I would catch Selena looking at me. She wouldn't turn away or try to hide it, she'd simply hold my gaze. As I looked into her chocolate brown eyes, I could see the storm that was slowly building. She'd come to me when she was ready.

We finished up dinner and I changed into some board shorts and a bikini top. I wanted to catch a few waves before the sun dipped below the horizon. I sat out on the porch and waxed my board. I felt a set of fingernails lightly rake over the tattoo on my ribcage. It was Selena admiring her name. My body instantly covered in goosebumps. She smirked as she noticed the bumps all over my skin.

"That didn't take much." She said with a playful grin.

"Never does." I said as I continued to wax my surfboard.

"You look good." She said as her eyes raked over my body. "Real good." She added.

"I try." I grunted as I admired my handiwork. Satisfied, I stood and held the board under my arm. "Wanna have a few beers when I get back?" I asked as I glanced at her.

She pushed my hair out of my eyes and smiled. "Yes."

"Alright." I said with a goofy grin. "I'll see you in a few."

"I'll be here."

"I know." I said as I walked toward the ocean.

I walked into the surf and gasped as the cold water of the Pacific Ocean slammed into my shins. I continued to walk foward until I was mid thigh. I laid down on my board and paddled foward. I caught a couple of waves and smiled when I noticed Joe paddling out to join me.

"Hey fucker." I smiled.

"You look like a drowned rat." He teased as he paddled up next to me. "She's changed." He said as he followed my gaze toward Selena.

"How so?" I asked.

"She doesn't seem to be as carefree as she used to be. Her eyes don't quite shine the way they used to...you know?" He said as he shielded his eyes from the sun.

"I think this past year has been tough for her." I said with a frown.

"I'm glad she's here." He said. "Hopefully she's able to let it all go. She doesn't seem happy. Maybe you could..."

"Joe. Don't." I warned. "That's not even an option."

He raised his hands in surrender. "You guys have always something Dem. Always. I've seen the way she looks at you. It hasn't changed. She's still looking at you with that same look she had when we were all sixteen and we thought we knew everything."

"Joe..." I sighed.

"I'll stop, but y'all are stupid." He stated as he folded his arms.

I watched as she walked along the waters edge. Even from out here I could tell she was preoccupied. I'd known her long enough to know when she was upset. The thing that bothered me, was the fact that she was trying to hide it. She told me everything. This was a new development for me. After a while she headed back toward the house. I decided to call it a night and I paddled back to shore.

"I'm gonna go back to the house." I mumbled as I left Joe bobbing in the ocean.

I walked out of the surf and onto the beach carrying my board under my arm. I stuck in the sand before I climbed the steps of the porch. I could hear Selena and Taylor talking softly in the living room. I smiled as I walked through the house toward my bedroom. I grabbed some clean clothes and made my way into the bathroom. I took a quick shower and once I was decent, I made my way into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed a couple beers and then I sat down on the couch with Selena. She immediately rested her legs in my lap.

"Here's that beer I promised you." I said as I handed her the chilled bottle.

"My hero." She teased as she bat her eyes dramatically.

"What are you guys talking about?" I aske as I brought the brown bottle to my lips.

"You." Taylor chuckled.

"Oh?" I questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I was telling her about the time you almost got us arrested." Selena explained. She had a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh hell no!" I said loudly. "Your crazy ass is who almost got us arrested."

I listened as she told Taylor the story. We were both sixteen and I had just got my drivers license. Like most teenagers I was excited so I picked Selena up and drove to the airport. When I was younger I was a little bit of a rebel. I thought it would be cool to park at the end of the runway and watch the planes take off and land. Naturally, I ignored all the no trespassing signs and drove through the gate anyway. We laid on the hood of my car and watched the stars and planes until the cops showed up.

I remember thinking that her dad was going to kill me. I was as good as dead. I remember the way the blue lights shined in her eyes. I was so distracted by her that I wasn't even worried about the fact that we might go to jail. The cops weren't playing around either. They handcuffed us and I couldn't help but laugh as I watched Selena try to run away. Needless to say she didn't get far. They shoved us both in the backseat of the car and slammed the doors shut. They took their time and left us to sweat it out in the backseat. We had no clue what was going to happen. Luckily they were just trying to scare us. They let us go with a warning.

"Yeah!" I laughed loudly. "Before they left she asked one of them for a light."

"Shut up!" Selena exclaimed as she playfully smacked me. "Don't tell people about my smoking stage. It's embarrassing!" She whined as she covered her face.

Joe walked in carrying another round of beers. "You thought you were such as badass." He said to Selena as he sat down and passéd out the beers.

"Do you remember when you broke your foot because you jumped out of my bedroom window." Selena asked laughing.

"Dude. Your dad seriously would have shot me. He was certain that we were fucking. I was not supposed to be there that night."

"Oh my god!" Taylor exclaimed.

"It was a two story house!" Joe laughed.

"Were you fucking?" Taylor asked with a smirk.

"No." Selena smiled. "My dad was always suspicious though. Demi and I have always been...close." She said as her eyes met mine. The intensity was almost too much for me to handle.

"Tell me about the tattoo." Taylor said glancing at my exposed ribcage. I was wearing a t-shirt that I had cut the sleeves off of.

"This is a good one." Joe smiled as he took a drink of his beer.

I sighed. "Well what had happened was..." I trailed off as everyone started laughing. "Selena and I were in Puerto Rico. We had been drinking and it had reached the point of drunken serious and emotional conversations. She saw some dude with his girlfriends name tattooed on him and he old her he got it because he knew that they would be together forever. Well, this made her sad. She wanted someone to love her enough to get her name tattooed on them."

"Aww! Demi!" Taylor squealed. "You're so sweet."

"So Demi got my name tattooed on her and told me that I would always have someone that loved me that much." Selena finished as she looked over at me. There was a softness in her eyes that made my breath catch.

I blushed as I took a drink of my beer. "Y'all need to shut up." I laughed. "Looking at me with googly eyes and shit."

"Demi! That is the sweetest thing. I'm not even joking." Taylor said again with a huge grin on her face. I could tell her mind was working in overdrive.

"That's true love." Joe said with a smug look on his face.

"Joe..." I warned as I glanced back at Selena. She looked unaffected.

We continued to drink and tell stories about growing up to together. Taylor was very amused by it all. Joe eventually challenged her to a game of drunken chess. I sat and drank my beer while Selena watched me. After a while she crawled over and laid her head in my lap. I automatically started to rum my fingers through her hair. I watched as she closed her eyes and smiled.

"You've always been good at that." She said softly.

I didn't say anything. I just kept playing with her hair. I could feel her relax as she let out a long sigh. Without thinking I started to softly sing to her. _She Is Love_ was the name of the song. She used to tell me she wished that it had been written about her.

"I tried to make it work." She sighed. "I loved him you know? Or at least I thought I did." She said as a single tear slipped down her cheek. "He was always trying to control me. It was like he didn't trust me."

"That's on him. Not you." I said trying to comfort her.

"Maybe I didn't try hard enough. Maybe he needed more than I gave him."

"I've known you my whole life Selena. I know that when you do something, you do it all the way. You put your whole heart into ino it. It's not you, it's him." I said as she sat up and looked at me.

"You love me?" She asked shyly.

"Always."

"How much?" She asked with a grin.

"I'd go to the ends of the earth for you." I said smiling.

She returned my smile and leaned her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. She always felt like home to me.

"I'm tired." I yawned. "I'm gonna go to bed." I said as I stood up and stretched.

"Goodnight Dem." She said as she gave me a hug. I noticed how tightly she held on. It was almost like she didn't want to let go.

"Sweet dreams." I said as I walked to my room. "Oh, and Sel." I said stopping in the hallway.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." She said softly.

At some point in the night I felt my bed shift. I opened my eyes to find her climbing underneath my blankets. She didn't say anything and she didn't have to. I held out my arms and she snuggled into my chest. I felt her hand reach up and grab a handful of my shirt on my shoulder as she buried her face into my neck. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She still felt off to me. Her energy was completely different and I was a little thrown off. She needed something from me and I didn't know what. I knew she was hurting, but I couldn't tell if it was him or if it was something else. She seemed very confused about something.

"You're the one constant in my life Demi." She whispered. "I love you so much."

"Shhh." I said as I placed a kiss on the top of her head. "It's been a long day. Get some sleep. I've got you."

"Please don't let go..."

"Never."


	2. Tequila Makes Here Clothes Fall Off

**A/N: Shoutout to anyone who notices the random song lyrics. I usually sneak them into every chapter I write. Thank you all so much for reading/reviewing/favoriting/and following this story. It's super awesome of you. I appreciate it. **

I was never really a morning person, but I couldn't wait to open my eyes and see her laying next to me. I knew she'd still be sleeping. Jet lag and exhaustion would have gotten the best of her over the past twenty four hours. As I looked at her bathed in the soft morning light, I couldn't help but feel complete. She did that to me. She made me whole when I would otherwise fall to pieces. My life wasn't terrible and it certainly wasn't complicated, but over the years I found that when she was away something was missing. It was her. She was a part of me that I would never be able to live without. I had always been comfortable with the status of our relationship. I knew her better than anyone.

We had a lot of history between the two of us. Some of it was very intimate and private. Neither of us had ever told anyone about what had happened that summer in Puerto Rico. It changed things between us permantly. It wasn't a bad thing but it was a little bit of a complicated thing. I fell in love with the sixteen year old girl and I was still in love with the twenty seven year old woman. It wasn't like I was crippled by my feelings. I didn't have a rain cloud constantly dumping emotions on me. It wasn't like I was miserable and condemned to be forever alone. It really wasn't that dramatic at all. It was simple. She was love. Being in love with her didn't make me a mess, it made me the best version of myself that I could possibly be. It didn't matter to me that she didn't love me the same way I loved her, well if she did I wasn't aware of it. What mattered was that she gave me a feeling that was completely indescribable. She inspired me in the best kind of way. She gave my life color.

I reluctantly got out out of bed and got ready for my morning run. Before I left, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead and I made my way outside and found Joe stretching. He looked completely disheveled and unshaven.

"Are you homeless?" I asked with a smile

"You're ten minutes late." Joe playfully scolded.

"Sorry." I smiled. "I had an unexpected visitor."

"Oh?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Stop!" I sighed as I sat down and started stretching next to him.

"Whatever." He said rolling his eyes. "I'm ready to go." He added as he stood up and dusted off the back of his shorts.

"Gimme a couple more minutes." I said as I continued to stretch.

Once I finished, I stood and we started to jog toward the beach. Joe and I had a routine that we liked to stick to. It had been this way since we both graduated college. Joe and I had spent most of our adult life together. He was like a brother to me. I loved him tremendously and I would do anything for him. We spent that first year out of school traveling across the country in Volkswagen bus. That's actually how we met Taylor. We came across her waiting tables at a diner in Nashville and somehow she convinced us to let her travel with us. When we got to San Diego, we didn't want to leave. It didn't take us long to come up with a plan and get settled. We bought a house and a bar with whatever money we had leftover from college and we haven't looked back. Thankfully, our bar was one of the most popular hang out spots in the city. We called it JD's. The J stood for Joe and the D was for Demi. It wasn't the most groundbreaking name, but it worked. Taylor used it during the day as a restaurant. She made some of the best food around. Between the three of us, we were quite successful.

Halfway through our run we picked up the pace a bit. I could hear Joe's heavy footfalls next to me. He sounded slightly out of breath. I laughed and gave him a quick glance. He scowled at me and we continued our run. We ran five miles everyday. Running allowed me to clear my head and just relax. I didn't have to worry about anything other than placing one foot in front of the other as I controlled my breathing. It didn't take long for us to reach the halfway point. Instead of turning around Joe collapsed in the sand and laid on his back.

"I need a break." He coughed.

"Get up dumbass. You won't be able to breath laying down like that!" I scolded shaking my head. "Idiot." I mumbled under my breath.

"I heard that!" He frowned as he sat up.

"I'm just trying to be helpful." I shrugged.

"What happened between you and Selena?" He panted. "And don't tell me nothing either. I can see it. You look at each other different."

"That's between her and I." I said sitting down next to him. "Some things aren't for everyone else to know."

"I'm not everyone else Demi. I'm your best freind. I'm practically your brother."

"Yes, I know that. You are my brother Joe. Forever and for always. This is something I can't talk to you about though. Please respect that." I asked making eye contact.

"You've pretty much confirmed my suspicions anyway." He shrugged.

"If you say so. You might be surprised. Puerto Rico was a long time ago anyway, we've both lived a lot of life since then." I said softly as I watched the waves roll into the beach.

"When was your last serious relationship?" He questioned.

I let out a deep breath. "College, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah. Exactly." He said with a smug look on his face.

"Why is this so important to you? I'm not a miserable cat lady. I'm happy with my life. I don't need a relatioship to define me. Like you, she's my best freind. I have everything I need." I said as I scratched the back of my head. "Besides when was the last time you had a girlfriend?" I questioned with a smirk.

"Way to deflect." He laughed. "You guys are so perfect for each other. I don't know how you don't see it." He said shaking his head.

"What if we don't want to risk everything just to find out?" I asked. "Sometimes, there are things better left unsaid."

"So you've talked about it then?" He asked slowly.

"Kind of." I answered as I glanced at my watch. "Last one home cooks dinner!" I said as I jumped up and bolted.

"Demi! What the fuck?!" I heard him yell after me as he struggled to his feet.

As usual I beat him home. We arrived to find Taylor and Selena giggling like a couple of school girls and drinking hot tea. It was slightly amusing to see them huddled on the couch like they'd known each other their whole lives. I noticed Selena was wearing one of my many leather jackets.

"Look what the cat drug in." Taylor grinned.

"Come give me a hug." I said as I sat on her. She grimaced as I shoved her head into my sweaty arm pit. "You like that!" I laughed as she screamed.

"Demi! Oh my god!" Selena exclaimed.

"You want some?" I said, raising my eyebrows and focusing on her.

"Don't you do it..." She warned. "Demi..." She said slowly. "I mean it..."

She stood and backed away slowly. I jumped slightly and he took off running. I immediately chased her.

"Get her Dem!" I heard Joe yell as she bolted down the hallway.

"Stay away from me!" Selena laughed as she tried to get away.

I chased her around the house until I finally trapped her in the bathroom. She jumped into the bathtub and pulled the curtain closed. I opened it and was immediately blasted with cold water. I grabbed her and pulled her against me. She was laughing so hard she could hardly breath. I pressed her against the shower tile and pushed my soaking wet hair out of my face.

"Gotcha." I grinned.

"Yeah, you do." She breathed.

"Does this remind you of something?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow. I had noticed her breathing was considerably heavier.

"It depends on what happens next." She said softly. She licked her lips in anticipation.

I wanted to kiss her, but I decided to let her stay riled up. I backed away slowly and gave her my signature smirk. "You're gonna have to try harder than that."

"Oh, you little bitch." She laughed.

I gave her my best curtsy and left her horny and dripping wet in the bathroom. She'd been here less than two days and we were already going back and forth. This is where the gray area came into play. As we got older, that's all we had. The blurred lines had faded long ago. Puerto Rico changed everything.

I spent the rest of the day helping her unpack and organize her clothes. She had a shit ton of them. I had never seen so many pairs of shoes in my entire life. Everything was color coordinated and labeled and...well excessive. As usual, I teased her mercilessly. She took it like a champ. I could see the way here eyes lit up each time I gave her a hard time. She loved it. After a while I could tell she was getting tired of unpacking. The sun had set and she seemed restless.

"Let's take a break." I said as I dropped a pair of what I could only describe as "fuck me" heels.

"I could use some fresh air." She yawned.

We went outside onto the back porch. I watched as she ran onto the sand toward the water. She took my jacket off and discarded it in the sand. I laughed as she squeeled when the cold water collided with her ankles. Once I got close enough, she grabbed my hand and pulled me further out into the surf. I gasped each time a wave collided with my body. Feeling brave, I reached down and grabbed her, then I threw her over my shoulder. She screamed and laughed.

"Dem!" She squeeled. "Noooooooooo." She said as I pretended I was going to drop her. Instead I ran toward the shore and collapsed on top of her in the sand. She reached up and brushed my hair out of my face.

"Its been awhile since I've had you on top of me." She said softly as she bit her bottom lip. Her eyes were dark and full of questions she already knew the answer to.

I cleared my throat. "All you have to do is ask." I whispered as I glanced at her lips. I could feel myself leaning closer. My nose brushed against hers and I snapped back to reality.

I quickly rolled over, so we were laying next to each other. I put my hands behind my head and laced my fingers together. I laid there and looked at the night sky.

"Do you remember when we graduated high school?" She asked.

"Of course." I said as I continued to stare at the stars.

"Do you remember what you told me that night on your parents roof?"

I sat up, propped my head up and made eye contact. "I told you that no matter where we were, we would always be together. Distance didn't matter. Anytime we missed each other all we had to do was look at the stars. My night sky would always be the same as yours."

She gave me a sad smile. "I spent so many nights looking at the sky." She said softly. "Do you ever think about that summer?"

I simply nodded and sat up. I knew exactly what summer she was referring to. She immediately moved closer to me and I wrapped my arm around her waist. I could feel her shiver.

"Are you cold?" I asked, sounding concerned.

"No." She said softly. "That happens everytime you touch me." She explained.

"Sel..."

"Demi, just listen for a minute. I know that we agreed to let it go but I don't know if I can anymore. I haven't been happy for so long. The second I see you everything just makes sense again. Why is that?" She asked as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"You've had a rough year. I think we should drop it for a while. Let's just relax and let things happen naturally. I don't want to fuck this all up. I can't lose you. You know that. I value your friendship too much. You're my touchstone Sel. I love you and I know you know that. Just hold onto that. You need to give your heart a break for a while. You just got out of a relationship. You were never really sure about being in relationship with me anyway."

"What if I am now?" She asked as she picked her head up off my shoulder and looked into my eyes.

I could see the sincerity and it scared the shit out of me. "I don't want to be a rebound relationship. You need time Sel. I'm not saying no, I'm just saying not yet. We could lose so much."

"I know." She sighed. "Demi."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She sat with me for a while longer before she got up and went inside. I was slightly shaken by the encounter I had just had with her. She had never been so direct. Ever. It was a side of her that I was not used to at all. She always dropped hints and waited for me to make a move. I was always the one that took that first step. Maybe this was her way of saying she was ready. I wasn't so sure though.

Our time in Puerto Rico started off innocently enough. It took about two weeks for things things to start changing between us. It started with subtle touches and lingering looks. In any case, I distinctly remember the fact that it was raining. It wasn't a cold rain, it was a warm tropical rain. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was just two people that desperately wanted each other. I'll never be certain why it happened, but it did. I was never really a fan of the rain. At least not until that moment with her. This was a different kind of rain. It wasn't the dismal, cold wetness that I was used to. As I sat there watching her dancing in its droplets, I couldn't help but think she was insane. I watched the drops as they slide down her face. For a moment I found myself jealous of the rain. She was so beautiful. I could hear her laughter as she called out to me. I left the dry shelter of the overhang and joined her in the downpour. She grabbed my hands in hers and smiled.

"Dance with me." She asked.

It's nearly impossible for me to tell her no. I pulled her close to me, placing my left hand on the small of her back, and I danced with her. Her laughter made me smile. I twirled her around and dipped her as she smiled at me. That smile melted my heart. As I lifted her back up her arms slide around my neck. I felt her push her body against mine. I could feel her heartbeat against my chest. Without thinking, I kissed her. She immediately kissed me back.

"I've never done this before." She panted as I trailed soft kisses down her jawline.

"Me either." I teased as I pressed my lips to hers again.

She laughed as her eyes found mine. "Let's go back to the room." She whispered.

As quickly as it came it was gone. I filed the memory where it belonged, in the past. I stared our into the ocean and wondered why now? Was she lonely, or did she honestly want to try? I wasn't bitter toward her but I kept my heart protected. I knew that she would never willingly break it, I just didn't want her to break it on accident. She wasn't the kind of person that would forgive herself.

"Demi!" I heard Joe yell. "Get your ass up here!"

I got up and made my way into the house.

"It's dinner time." Joe smiled. "Go wash your ass and come and join us." He added pinching his nose as I walked closer to him.

"Fuck you!" I said playfully punching his arm.

"He's right. You need a shower, and I would know." Taylor chimed in.

"You ready for round two?" I teased.

"No! God no!" She said loudly.

Once everyone was seated at the table we said grace and started to eat.

"We are all going out for Margaritas to tonight." Taylor said between bites of food. "You should come. We're going to show Sel around and introduce her to everyone."

"Not tonight Tay. I'm tired. I wanna chill at home."

"Really Dem?" Selena asked. "I'd really love if you came with us."

"Next time Sel. This will give you a chance to get to know Taylor better and catch up with Joe anyway. I'm just not in the mood for crowds tonight."

"I'll miss you." She said softly.

"Awww. How cute!" Joe said as he dramatically bat his eyes and clutched his hands over his heart.

"Be nice!" Taylor scolded as she smacked him in the arm.

"Sel, you might want to put an extra layer of clothes on..." I teased.

She simply responded by flipping me off.

"What?" I said innocently. "I know what happens when you drink Patron."

"Wait. What happens when she drinks Patron?" Joe asked slightly concerned.

"You'll see." I winked. "If her shoes come off at any point in the night, you're fucked." I laughed.

"Did I miss something?" Taylor asked confused.

He didn't know it, but he had his hands full. Selena loved to drink tequila. Lots of it. The thing about Selena and tequila, well lets just say it lowered her inhibitions to the point where she had none. Literally. The second she hears any eighties arena rock, her clothes are as good as gone. Bon Jovi would seal the deal. I sat on the couch and grinned at her like an idiot. She knew I was right. She smiled at me and it was the kind of smile that took your breath away.

"Don't go telling all my secrets." She playfully scolded.

"Knowing Joe, he won't mind." I grinned at her. "Behave yourself."

"I'll try." She winked as she headed down the hallway to get ready.

I watched as the three of them shuffled around the house getting ready. Once they were done, they left leaving me to a very empty and quiet house. I made my way over to the record player and looked through some of my favorite records. I decided to listen to _Rumours _by Fleetwood Mac. It was one of my all time favorites. I was always curious as to how they could write such an amazing record when during the recording process, they weren't even on speaking terms. I laid in the middle of the living room floor and sang along to every song. I did this for several hours. I listened to classic records and just laid there. Every once in a while I'd think about Selena, judging by the late hour, she's probably wrapped in a table cloth and passed out in the back of a cab. I laughed just thinking about it. She was crazy.

I heard them the second they had returned. I heard the cab pull up and I could hear the laughter of what sounded like a couple of drunk teenage girls. I always teased Selena about the fact that she sounded like a valley girl when she was drunk. I could hear Joe attempting to herd them like a bunch of cattle. I made my outside and laughed hysterically. Selena wasn't wearing any shoes or a top anymore. Luckily she was still wearing a bra and her skirt. Taylor was also missing her shoes and top.

"I could use some help here." Joe asked sounding exasperated.

I walked over to Selena and scooped her up effortlessly.

"Deeeemmmmmmiiiiiiii." She slurred into my ear. "Luff you soooooo much."

"I know." I smiled as I carried her into the house.

I headed toward her room and laid her down in bed. I grabbed some of her pjs and I took a deep breath. This was the fun part. I had seen naked plenty of times, but she could be a little bit of a pain in the ass when she was drunk. I gently pulled off her skirt and I was surprised to find she wasn't wearing panties. It was a very short skirt. I grabbed the pajama bottoms and slid them up her legs. I quickly unfastened her bra and took a couple seconds to admire her breasts, once I was finished I sat her up and pulled a t shirt over her head. Once I got her dressed I pulled back the blankets and tucked her in. I was surprised that she didn't attempt to mount me the entire time. She was seriously drunk. She was snoring by the time I left the room.

I made my way into my own room and climbed into bed. I was exhausted. Once again I wasn't surprised to wake up and find her in my bed. Her hair was covering her face and she was snuggled into my pillows. It was still dark out so I rolled over and wrapped my arm around her. I could get used to this.


	3. I'm Yours

**A/N: I've introduced a couple new characters this chapter. You're going to notice some complications starting to bubble to the surface. It's nothing too crazy though. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the update. :)**

I'll never really understand what she saw in him. For the longest time I thought that it was her way of coping with what had happened between the two of us. I felt like she rushed into the relationship in an effort to recover from whatever leftover feelings she might have had. A part of me also thought that maybe that was just wishful thinking. It was possible that she was actually into him and I was looking for something that just wasn't there. In any case, their relationship was always rocky. They fought constantly and when they were getting along it was because she was simply giving in because it was easier than arguing. I never interfered or brought it up. I wasn't quite sure how to approach her and ask what was up. She usually talked to me to me about this kind of stuff. For some reason the entire subject of Justin and the broken engagement was never brought up. It was almost like she didn't want to talk to me about it. I had one brief conversation with her the night she moved here and that was it.

In the few days that she had been here I immediately noticed how stressed and sad she seemed. I also realized that during the day she was spending a lot of time on her phone. She seemed to be very frustrated and withdrawn. Selena and I had always had an ease with each other that seemed to missing. Maybe I was just being overly dramatic, but I noticed things about her and she just felt off. There were moments when she was _my_ Selena and there were moments when I almost didn't recognize her. The past few nights she stayed in her bedroom and didn't come out until late in the morning. This morning was no different.

I was standing over the sink washing dishes and I saw her emerge from the hallway. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked exhausted. My first instinct was to wrap her in my arms and tell her that she was safe from the whole entire world. She gave me a weak smile as she walked over to the fridge and grabbed some yogurt. She closed the refrigerator door and stood there holding the yogurt and staring at the wall. I noticed she was holding her phone in her left hand. She was squeezing it so tight, her knuckles were white. I stopped what I was doing and walked over to her. I touched her arm and she inhaled a short breath and jumped slightly like I had scared her.

"Sel?" I questioned. The concern obvious.

"Sorry. I must have spaced." She mumbled.

"Hey." I said softly. "Come here." I said holding my arms open for her.

Without a word she stepped into my embrace and let the yogurt and phone fall to the floor. I could feel her small frame start to shake with sobs as she wrapped her arms around my neck and cried into my shoulder. I didn't say anything. I simply held her. We stayed that way for several minutes. I could hear her sniffle every once in while and when she was ready, she let go and took a deep breath. Without thinking, I reached up and brushed the remaining tears from her cheeks and kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed and she let out a content sigh.

"Thank you." She said, her voice raspy from crying. "I needed that."

"Come on, lets sit." I said as I lead her out to the porch. "I'll make you some tea. Give me a minute."

She nodded as I went inside.

I returned a short time later with a steaming mug of tea which she graciously accepted. She looked a little better. You could tell she had been crying, but she no longer had that distant look in her eyes.

"Sorry about all that." She said slightly embarrassed.

"Don't ever apologize for feeling something." I said giving her hand a squeeze. "You're human Sel. It happens."

"You're probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me." She sighed.

"Of course I am. You're my best friend. I care about how you're feeling." I said as she took a sip of her tea.

"This is really good." She remarked before setting it down on the end table. "I'm a little bit of a mess right now. Being around you makes it all just sort of come out. I've ways felt safe and comfortable with you, you know? I've never had to hide anything and it's been awhile, so it's all kind of manifesting itself in a very messy way."

"Selena, look at me." I said as she turned her head to make eye contact. "I can take it."

"I know." She said scrunching her eyebrows together. "I just don't know where to start."

"The beginning is usually a good place." I smiled.

"Can I be honest with you Demi?" She asked.

"Of course."

"I am very confused right now about so many things. Like I said, I don't even know where to begin." She said as she pushed her hair to the side. "I have been desperately trying for so long to be the person that Justin wanted me to be that I don't even know who I am anymore. I don't even know I feel. It used to be so simple. I'm sitting here with you and I still miss him. He was terrible to me and I still fucking miss him."

"You were together for almost four years Sel. It takes time to heal." I said while she shook her head.

"I shouldn't miss him Demi. Do you have any idea what he's done to me?" She asked sounding slightly annoyed.

"Not really. You haven't really told me Sel." I sighed. "You guys have a lot of history. It's going to be hard."

I could tell she was getting frustrated. "A few days ago I was so happy. I was with you and I felt free. For the first time in forever I knew what I wanted. Now, I'm just not so sure. I can't shake him." She said sadly.

"Am I adding to your confusion?" I asked.

"Yes." She breathed. "Very much so. I've been confused about you since I was sixteen."

"Tell me what to do?" I said as pushed a strand of hair behind her ear "Tell me what you need and I'll do it. It doesn't matter."

"Just be here Demi." She sighed.

"I've always been here Sel. Always."

"I know..." She said softly. "I hope you know that I'm not here just because my life is falling apart. You're more than just a soft place to land."

"Of course I know that."

"Demi. I love you." She said very seriously.

"I love you too." I said as I stood. "I have to go take care of some things at the bar. You wanna come with me?" I asked.

"Not today. I'm not really in the mood. I'm probably just going to soak in the bath." She said almost smiling.

"I'll leave you to it then." I said as I walked away.

Before I got into the house I felt her touch my arm. I turned around and felt her arms wrap around me. She held onto to me like her life depended on it. When she let me go, her brown eyes stared into mine as she lightly traced my jawline with her fingertips. She paused and held her finger in my chin dimple. I wanted to laugh, but somehow I managed to maintain my composure. Her brow was furrowed and she seemed to be deep in thought. Without warning, she kissed my cheek and disappeared into the house. It took me a moment to collect myself. She was fucking weird sometimes.

I walked into the house and noticed a trail of clothes leading into the bathroom. The door was slightly ajar and I could hear the water running. I watched as she lowered herself into the steaming water. She was absolutely beautiful. I didn't hide the fact that I could see her. She noticed me as I picked up her discarded clothes. She smiled and it was the kind of smile that reached here eyes. I was thankful for that. I hated it when her smiles were fake. I tossed her clothes ino the hamper and I went into the kitchen. I searched through the wine rack until I found what I was looking for and I poured a glass. I grabbed my iPod and pulled up a playlist that I had made for her a long time ago. Without asking permission I walked into the bathroom, handed her the wine, then plugged my iPod into the dock. Once the music started playing and I was satisfied with the volume, I left.

"Demi!" She called out.

"Yeah?" I yelled back.

"You're my favorite!" She laughed.

"I know!" I yelled back with a grin on my face.

I grabbed my car keys and jacket and headed out. I had a lot of work to do.

When I arrived at the bar Joe, Ruby and Vince were already getting the truck unloaded. Today was stock day and we had a lot of inventory and heavy lifting to get done. Taylor was busy with getting the restaurant ready to open for lunch.

"It's about fucking time!" Joe said with a grin. "I thought you were gonna ditch and play house with Selena." He teased.

"Shut up." I said shaking my head.

"Who's Selena?" Ruby asked as she lifted a case of beer.

"She's the chick that Demi is secretly in love with." Joe interrupted.

"You don't say?" The Australian smiled as I glared at Joe.

"I'm not secretly in love with her. She's my best friend. Known her my whole life." I explained.

"Is she the reason you haven't returned my texts?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow.

"No. I've just been busy." I answered.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Vince asked as he wheeled a dolly out of the bar.

"Last time I checked I was the boss." I said crossing my arms in mock annoyance.

He raised his arms and laughed. "I kid! I kid!"

We spent the next two hours unloading the semi. Once we had finished, we went inside to start doing the inventory. By the time we finished, Taylor had started the dinner rush and would be closing the restaurant to prepare for the bar to open up. As usual she helped us move and store the tables. When we finished, we had an hour before the bar opened. Several of the bartenders had started to arrive to prepare for their shift.

Ruby was in charge of the bartenders. She had been working for Joe and I since we opened the place. She was a good friend and she was very reliable. We hooked up every once in a while. Nothing serious. Lately she seemed to be pushing for more of a relationship. I honestly wasn't interested. I hadn't found a way to break it to her yet, so I just avoided it. Vince was one of three bouncers. He was covered in tattoos and he looked mean as hell. In reality he was a teddy bear. He was also a very close friend.

The four of us kept the bar running. Joe and I weren't here as often as we used to be, but we made an effort to be present. One Friday a month I played live on the small stage we had. Taylor played one Friday a month as well. Those nights the place would be packed. People lined up early to get a spot. It was standing room only, first come first serve. We made a killing on those Friday nights. I was thankful that our bar was so successful. We could have lost everything when we bought the place. Instead, our investment paid off and gave us all a very comfortable lifestyle. I couldn't be happier. My teaching degree was pretty much useless though. I wasted so much time in college.

I stayed until last call. I helped Vince and Ruby get the remaining drunks into taxis and clean the place up. Joe left earlier with Taylor so it was just me and the rest of the staff. The thing I liked the most about the two of them was their work ethic. They were thorough and fast. It took us an hour to have the place ready for tomorrow. I was on my way home by three a.m.

When I pulled up to the house I notice that lights were still on throughout the house. I was surprised that they were still up. I could hear music as I walked toward the front door. I walked in and I could hear Selena and Taylor singing loudly. I found them both in the kitchen dancing as they mixed up what looked like cake batter. The back door was propped open and I could see light wisps of smoke drifting through the air. I went outside to find Joe kicked back on the couch smoking a cigar and enjoying a beer.

"I was wondering when you'd be home." He said as he blew out a puff of smoke.

"I felt like working." I said as I plopped down next to him.

He handed me the cigar and I took a drag.

"Her moods have been giving me whiplash." He said referring to Selena. "Today seems to be a good day. She was excessively happy when Taylor an I got home."

"Good." I smiled.

"They've been hanging out since this afternoon." He informed me before taking a drink of his beer. "They're like a couple of high school girls. It's annoying." He laughed.

"Yeah. I noticed."

"Can I be real with you?" He asked turning toward me.

"Of course." I smiled.

"I mean it Dem. don't try to shut me down or blow me off." He stated.

"I won't. Whats up?"

"She's in love with you and she's too afraid to admit it. She's gonna keep running back to that asshole unless you stop her. He's bad for her. The girl you brought home isn't the same girl she used to be. He's fucking ruining her and they aren't even together anymore." He said bitterly. "Why don't you just put it all on the line?"

"Holy shit." I sighed. "Dude, I can't throw away everything when it might not work out. It was hard enough after Puerto Rico to not fall apart."

"So you guys hooked up then?" He asked.

I nodded. "We agreed that it would be better if we just stayed friends. She didn't want to risk anything going wrong and neither did I. She was afraid of destroying the friendship. Long distance wasn't really an option for her. She didn't know what she wanted at the time."

"Did you?" He asked.

"I've always known." I answered.

"It's always been her." He said softly. "Does she know that?"

"I don't know." I sighed.

"Tell her."

"It's not that simple. I said shaking my head.

"Yes it is."

We sat and continued to talk. I couldn't help but think back to that summer. I kissed her in the rain and she wanted me to. She led me back to our rented beach house and did something she had never done before. I could tell she was nervous but she felt safe because she was with me. I was gentle and I took my time with her. I explored every inch of her body and committed everything to memory. I still know her body by heart. I know that she likes to be held close. I know that she likes to be kissed. I know that she likes it when I pin her hands above her head and nip her neck. I know that it drives her crazy when I kiss the inside of her thighs. I know that when it feels just right, she tangles her hands in my hair. I know all of these things because I spent the entire summer holding her in my arms. She wasn't just my best friend, she was my lover. By the time summer ended we had to face the harsh reality of returning to our regularly scheduled lives. We talked it out like mature adults and we agreed to leave it where it was and be just friends. It was hard for me. I felt like I had let her slip through my hands. I didn't dwell on it though. I didn't want to push her away. Instead I stuffed all my feelings down and moved on.

As time passed, the slight awkwardness had vanished and everything returned to normal. Well, as normal as things could be between two people that knew the things we knew about each other. The distance probably helped too. Phone conversations and texting weren't quite as intimate as being face to face with each other. To be honest, the distance probably saved our friendship. I'm not sure what would have happened if we didn't have the space. Jealousy would have been a huge problem. When she told me she was seeing Justin, I almost had a meltdown. Luckily she was no where to be found and I was able to deal with my feelings privately. It was hard. Eventually I got over it.

"Let's go inside." Joe said as he finished his cigar.

We walked inside and joined Taylor and Selena at the kitchen table.

"Let's play a game." Taylor grinned.

"Sure." I said as I went to the fridge and grabbed a beer.

I watched as she got up and grabbed a bottle of Jack and four shot glasses. She poured everyone a shot and sat the bottle in the center of the table.

"Here are the rules. If someone asks you a question and you don't answer it, you have to take a shot. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Since Selena is the new kid on the block, we will give her the honors of asking the first question." Taylor smirked.

"Alright then." Selena smiled. "Joe. Have you and Taylor had sex?" She asked.

He laughed loudly. "No we have not."

"Demi." He said turning toward me. "Have you and Ruby had sex?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head. "Yes."

"Oh my god!" Taylor said covering her mouth.

"I knew it!" Joe laughed.

Selena looked unamused.

"Taylor." I said with an evil grin. "Name one person in this room that you would have sex with."

"Easy. You." She shrugged.

"Ouch." Joe laughed. "That one hurt."

We continued to go around the table asking questions and taking shots. By the time the sun started to rise we were all pretty drunk.

"Selena." Taylor said making eye contact. "Who's your hands down, best ever make up sex?"

Selena's face immediately went red. I noticed Joe leaned forward in his seat as he waited for her to answer.

"You just had to ask that didn't you." She grinned. "I can't believe that I'm actually going to answer this." She took a deep breath. "Demi."

Joe and Taylor both looked at me. I cocked my head to the side and looked at Selena. She was drunk, and I'm pretty sure she was wasted. This was the first time she had ever mentioned this part of our relationship to anyone. I was completely surprised. She had just put it all out in the open.

"I think it's about time we start being honest." She said as she held my gaze. "I don't like to hide things from people that I care about. You two are my friends. You should know. I'm also not ashamed of what happened between Demi and I. It was actually quite beautiful and I think that I might have made a huge mistake when I let her go."

"Sel..." I said slowly.

"Don't ask me to stop please. I really don't want to." She interrupted. "Did you know that she knows everything about me?" She said looking at Joe. "She doesn't know a lot about Justin though. I did that on purpose because I knew that my relationship with him hurt her. I couldn't handle it."

"Sel." Joe said clearing his throat. "I think you've had enough for now. Lets get you to bed." He said standing up. He could tell that I was at a loss for words.

"She fucking confuses me. I'm not sure what the fuck she even wants from me. She's so goddamn stoic and proper and patient and she never says what she wants. She just lets me do whatever even though its fucking stupid most of the time." She ranted angrily. "I just want her to tell me that I'm ok and that she actually feels something for me. Why didn't she fight for me Joe? Why did she agree to just be friends? Who does that?" She slurred. "And don't even get me started with Justin. I never should have left him. I miss him. He keeps telling me to come home. He tells me he needs me..."

"Oh Jesus." Taylor said softly.

"Sel. Come on." He said as he picked her up and carried her to her room.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. She had never been a sloppy drunk. She was early emotionally unstable right now. She was all over the fucking place.

"Are you ok?" Taylor asked me as I sat there dumbfounded.

"Yeah. I'm just a little...surprised." I said as I ran my fingers through my hair. "She's not doing good Tay. This isn't her. She's not like this at all."

He truly fucked her up. She used to be so carefree and open. She was always a gentle, soft spoken person. She loved to read and listen to music. She enjoyed talking to people. She always had a smile on her face. I had no idea who this angry, sad person was. She certainly wasn't my Selena.

"Fight for her Demi." Taylor said interrupting my thoughts.

"She's all over the place. Maybe she needs him." I sighed, clearly frustrated. "She said she misses him. Maybe that's why she's so depressed."

"Maybe." Taylor said crossing her arms. "Or maybe she's spent the last five years trying to figure out why you would just let her go without batting an eye. Maybe she's tired of waiting for you to come and tell her how you feel. Maybe she's giving up and it's tearing her apart..."

"Would you just stop!" I snapped. "I'm tired of people telling me what I should do. None of you fucking know! You just don't! It's not that fucking simple. It never was and it never has been. She's everything! She's the one thing in my life that I'd rather die than lose. Do you get that? Do you even understand what that means?"

"You're losing her as we speak. That girl is a shell of who she used to be and you know it. Get off your ass and do something." She said angrily as she jammed her finger into my chest.

"Stop telling me what to do. I know who and what she is. I know how to handle her. She's been my entire world for the past twenty years. Don't fucking tell me what she needs. I already fucking know what she needs." I said as I stormed off.

As I stomped down the hallway I didn't see Joe and we ran into each other.

"Shit." I mumbled. "Sorry."

"It's ok." He said with a half smile. "Umm, Dem." he said softly. "I'm not gonna tell you what to do or anything like that, but she needs you. So...yeah." He said before he walked away and went into his room.

I took a deep breath and walked toward her room. Her door was slightly ajar and I could see laying in bed. I was surprised to see her eyes open as I walked into the room.

"I figured you'd be asleep." I said softly as I walked over toward the bed. She scooted back so I could sit.

"I wanted to see you first." She whispered. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said all of those things..."

"It's ok. It's how you felt. You don't have to hold back with me. You know that." I said trying to reassure her.

"It wasn't fair." She said sadly. "I don't know if me being here is a good thing."

"Selena, listen to me. You belong here. I'm not going to get into the specifics as to why, but this is your home now. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to fix you. You might be a little broken, but you're still good." I smiled. "Stop talking to that asshole and let yourself get settled. Stop resisting this place so much and let it in. I promise you, you're right where you belong."

"How do you know?" She questioned.

"Because you're with me." I said softly as I touched her cheek.

I watched as she considered what I had said. I could tell she was tired. Not only was she drunk, but she had been awake for nearly twenty four hours. It had been an exhausting day for her. I stood to leave and I felt her hand grab mine.

"Stay." She whispered softly. "I need you here."

I sat back down and untied my boots. I kicked them off my feet and I felt her sit up. I turned toward her and she pushed my jacket off.

"Take your pants off."

I stood up and did as she said. Once I was wearing just a shirt and underwear, I got back into the bed. She grabbed my hands and sighed. I watched her pull off all of the rings I was wearing and she placed them on the end table. She pushed me back against the pillows and laid her head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and stroked her hair as I stared at the ceiling.

"You're ways gonna be here right?" She asked quietly

"Always."

"No matter what?"

"No matter what." I said as I pressed my lips to her forehead.


	4. Return To Innocence

**A/N: The song in this chapter is called "Songbird" by Fleetwood Mac and I don't own .**

The next couple of days were slightly tense. Selena was irritable and spent most of her time out at job interviews or staring off into the ocean. After about three days of her avoiding me like I had the plague, she gave me a peace offering of food. She had always been a very domestic person. This was her way of saying I surrender. I was surprised it had actually taken her the full three days before she gave in. My guess was she couldn't really come up with a logical excuse to be mad at me. At least I assumed that her lack of acknowledging my existence had to do with her trying to blame me for something. Exactly what, I don't know. I'm not a mind reader and she can't hold me accountable for that.

I was sitting on my bed with my laptop perched in my lap going over the monthly expenses at the bar. I noticed that she had poked her head into the room a couple of times as if she was ensuring I was still there. I was curious as to what she what she was up to, but she was a weirdo sometimes so I didn't really think much of it. I pushed my glasses back up to the bridge of my nose, they would slip occasionally when I glanced down at my notes. I smelled the food before I actually saw it. She walked into my room holding a tray of pancakes with an expression on her face that reminded me of a damn puppy. I couldn't help but laugh as she carried the food over to where I was sitting on my bed.

"I made you something." She said sweetly.

"Oh?" I responded raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." She breathed. "I wanted to apologize for how I acted the other night. It was embarrassing." She said softly. "I had no right to unload on you like that."

"I'm not even mad Sel." I smiled. "Are you good now?" I asked.

"Yes." She said smiling brightly. "I'm dumping the baggage and starting fresh. New city. New life."

"Sounds like someone gave you some good advice."

"Yeah, I should listen to her more often." She said blushing. "Anyway, eat the food and tell me how they're the most amazing pancakes ever." She said as she sat next to me. "They're strawberry banana." She added. "With blueberry syrup."

I sat the laptop aside and took a ridiculously large bite that resulted in making a mess all over my face. It had the desired effect, she immediately laughed. I was surprised when she reached up and wiped some of the syrup off my chin with her finger.

"You need a bib." She laughed.

I continued to eat the pancakes and she watched with an amused twinkle in her eye. I loved these moments with her. Words weren't necessary and the silence was comfortable and easy. She seemed less stressed and relaxed.

When I finished she took the plate and left the room. I laid on my stomach and stretched my legs out as I continued to work on my laptop. Selena returned a few minutes later and jumped onto the bed. I gave her a quick glance as I felt her head rest on the small of my back as she opened up a book. Apparently I was being used as a pillow.

"Comfortable?" I asked with a smirk.

"Very." She answered sounding slightly amused.

"I'd hate to disappoint." I chuckled.

"You never do, now shush. I'm trying to read." She scolded.

I went to back to my typing and secretly reveled in the moment we were sharing. I had missed this. When we first left for college all those years ago, both of us were a mess. As always, I was the one to put on a brave front and keep my emotions in check. She fell apart daily. Back then it was devestating, now it was sort of comical at how dramatic we were as teenagers. We had both changed over the years as we experienced life for the first time away from each other. The one thing that never changed was the way she needed me.

"Oh!" I heard her say suddenly. " I forgot to tell you I got a job."

I could tell she was excited. "Where?" I asked craning my neck in an effort to look at her. She was still resting her head on my back.

"At one of the elementary schools." She smiled. "I start in August when the school year begins. I teach the morning class."

Unlike me, Selena actually put her college degree to use. When she lived in New York she was a kindergarten teacher. She loved children. She relates to them well, and her easygoing personality made kids easy to be around. She found as much wonder in the world as they did.

"That's amazing!" I said turning over so her head was now resting on my stomach. "I'm gonna make you dinner to celebrate. Meet me on the beach at seven."

"Tonight?" She asked.

"Yes." I answered. "Unless you have a hot date I don't know about."

"Nope. Just you." She sat up and grinned at me like a little kid that was up to no good. "Lift up your legs." She instructed as she stood. "Bend your knees a little." She said as she pushed my feet together and placed them against her abdomen.

I laughed as soon as I figured out what she was trying to do. "Seriously!?" I said as she signaled for me to give her my hands.

I grabbed both her hands in mine and pushed her up in the air as she balanced on my feet. She let go of my hands once she was steady and spread her arms wide. She had the most amazing smile on her face as she looked down at me. Her long dark hair tickled my nose when I almost dropped her. She squealed and grabbed my hands to steady herself. Once she regained her balance she let go once again and I reached up and caressed her cheek. She immediately blushed or at least I think she did. I couldn't tell if she was flushed from having my feet pressing into her lungs or of it was from the way I touched her. Either way, her smile was the one she always got when she was feeling shy. It was my favorite one.

I could feel my legs start to give out so pushed her to the side and let her fall into the soft mattress. She immediately rolled over so she was on top of me. I could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. She was staring into my eyes and I could see a longing in the depths of hers.

"The answer is yes." I said softly.

"I didn't ask anything."

"Are you sure." I responded as I pushed her hair out of her face.

Before she could answer, Joe walked into the room unannounced.

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed. "Usually people that wanna fuck close the door."

Selena sighed as she slowly removed herself from my personal space.

"You're a dick." I said as I sat up. "What do you want?" I asked trying to hide how annoyed I was.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to surf. The waves are killer right now." He grinned as he looked at me and then Selena.

"Seriously?" Selena scowled. I could tell she was irritated. I found it amusing.

"I didn't mean to cock block Sel." He laughed as he held his hands up.

She responded by throwing one of my pillows at him.

"I'm gonna pass on the surfing for now bro. I got some errands to run. Don't have the time." I said answering his earlier question.

"Errands?" He asked.

"Yup." I nodded not offering any details.

"Lame." He replied rolling his eyes. "I'll catch you guys later." He said as he walked out of the room

"I really hate him sometimes." Selena laughed.

"Why?" I asked with a smirk.

"You know why." She responded looking everywhere but at me.

"Mmm Hmm." I teased.

"Whatever!" She said playfully shoving me before she stood up to leave.

"Don't be late." I said referring to our dinner arrangements.

"I never am." She smirked. "Seven is kinda late for dinner though."

"Are you gonna turn into a pumpkin or something?" I teased.

"No." She laughed. "I'm not a princess. You better have me in bed at a descent hour though. I don't fuck after ten." She said as she walked away.

She was absolutely correct. She wasn't a princess. I don't imagine a princess would speak that way. I laughed and shook my head. She really was something else. She wasn't as delicate as she sometimes seemed. She was a very strong willed and independent person. She loved with her whole heart, unconditionally and never asked for anything in return. It was easy to hurt her, but she could take it. The downside was she had a tendency to let her heart get trampled. From what I could gather, Justin did just that.

Justin was a situation that I never really understood. I still don't. She was smarter than that. There was something about him that just kept pulling her in. The need to change him. The need to make him a better person. Sometimes I thought maybe she thought he was the best she could do. It was ridiculous, but women were crazy. I would know.

I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for tonight's dinner. I went shopping at the farmers market and picked up a nice bottle of wine to go with the fish I was cooking. I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted her to feel appreciated and loved. I wanted her to know that I was proud of her and I would always be here to support her in any way I could. She was special to me and I wanted her to feel it.

I set up a table on the deck. We had an ocean view and once the sun set, we would be blanketed in stars. I covered the table in a black tablecloth and set candles out. I realized that I was creating a romantic setting, and I knew she would notice the gesture. Once I was satisfied with the set up, I went back inside to prepare the meal. It didn't take long to get the food cooked and I quickly changed and set the table. I stood by the doorway and waited for her to join me. She was right on time.

She looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a tight little black dress. It was a little shorter than it needed to be and she had her hair pulled up in an elegant bun. The devilish grin on her lips told me all I needed to know. She made a deliberate descision to dress provocatively. She wanted a reaction. I couldn't take my eyes off her. In fact, my eyes were the only thing that I didn't want to take off her. It took every ounce of self control I had. She made me feel like a teenage boy. Awkward and inexperienced with only one thing on my mind, getting laid. I never had a chance when it came to her. I reminded myself to breathe as I pulled her chair out. She smiled as she sat down. I felt my knees go weak.

"You look beautiful." I said softly as I sat down across from her.

"This is amazing Demi."

"You're amazing Selena." I said as I reached across the table and lightly squeezed her hand. The compliment made her blush.

"You didn't have to do all of this for me." She smiled shyly.

"I know. I wanted to."

I spent most of dinner making her laugh. I lived for it. The one thing I wanted most out of life was to put a smile on her face. It was an addiction and she was my drug. I would never be able to get enough. I wanted to be the person that made her eyes dance with joy.

"Demi we're friends right?" She asked.

"Of course." I smiled.

"I don't think so." She said shaking her head.

"What?" I asked clearly confused.

"I think we're more than friends." She responded, her voice low and husky as her eyes met mine. "I think we're soul mates." She continued to hold my gaze as she gauged my reaction.

"I think you might be right." I said as I stood up and took her by the hand.

I gently guided her out of her seat and led her toward the beach. We ended up walking hand in hand along the surf under the watchful light of the moon. She would lean her head on my shoulder every once in while. It was a perfect evening. The attraction was undeniable. She lifted my arm and draped it across her shoulder so she could snuggle into my side. She reached up and hooked her pinky with mine as we continued to walk down the coastline. There was something about the way she looked in the moonlight, it made me want everything.

"Dance with me." I whispered in her ear.

I slid my hand around to the small of her back and turned her so she was facing me. She placed one of her hands on my shoulder and I took the other one in mine.

"There's no music." She laughed softly.

"Shh. Listen" I whispered in her ear as I softly started to sing. _"For you there'll be no more crying. For you the sun will be shinning."_

She melted in my arms. I felt her eyes as they looked into mine. I saw nothing but love.I pulled her closer as I continued to sing softy into her ear. _"And I feel that when I'm with you, It's alright. I know it's right."_

I felt her eyelids flutter against my cheek and she let out a soft sigh. She nuzzled her nose into my neck and I could feel her heart beat against mine. _"To you I'll give the world. To you I'll never be cold."_ I sang as we danced at the waters edge.

She pulled away and once again looked into my eyes. She brought both arms around my neck and pressed our bodies together.

_"Cause I feel that when I'm with you, it's alright. I know it's right." _I sang as I slid my hands across her hips and wrapped them around her.

"I love that song." She said softly.

"I know."

"I love you."

"I know." I said, gently grabbing her face in both of my hands and pressing our lips together.

She yelped against my lips as the water collided with our ankles. We were so lost in other we didn't notice the tide creep up on us.

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed loudly. "It's cold Dem!"

I scooped her up and walked further away from the water. She pulled me in for another kiss as I held her out of reach of the cold ocean.

"We should head back to the house." I said slightly breathless.

She nodded in agreement and snuggled into my neck as I carried her home.


	5. Baby You're All That I Want

**A/N: The next few chapters will be introducing characters that will be important to the development of this story. The story itself is very chill right now but don't turn on cruise control yet. I'm gonna be throwing a curveball soon. In the meantime read, review and enjoy. I do not the songs "Heaven" by Bryan Adams or "Stop The World" by Demi Lovato. Also excuse any typos. I didn't edit.**

After we made it back to the house she suggested we both go to bed...separately. I spent the entire night thinking about her. She assured me we were both ok. In fact she said we were more than ok, she just needed to slow it down a bit. I understood what she needed. She needed this to be on her own terms. It would be foolish of me to think she was ready for a relationship right now anyway. It was like we both kept changing our minds. She wanted to get together and I wanted to wait or vice versa. It was slightly comical.

Over the course of the next few days I started to notice some changes. One of the first things that I noticed was that she had started to join Joe and I on our daily run. Surprisingly she kept up pretty well and seemed to enjoy the exercise. She skipped out on our intense crossfit style workouts though and instead opted to do yoga. Neither Joe and I minded. She was somewhat of a distraction however while doing certain poses. One of the days she convinced us to join her and that was a sight to see. I don't think the three of us have ever laughed so hard. Watching Joe attempt to do yoga was a lot like watching someone trying to stick a square peg in a round hole. It just didn't fit. Taylor took a couple pictures and got a good laugh from the whole ordeal.

I started to notice something else about her. She was dressing differently. I had gotten so used to her very fashionable sense of style that I had forgotten she was a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl growing up. More often than not she would wear skinny jeans and band shirts. She started to wear knit caps and snap backs again. She'd lounge around in baggy sweats and Jordan's. She also started to wear the typical daisy dukes and bikini top that most girls wore around the beach. I was pretty partial to that look.

She had started to remind me of that seventeen year old girl that wasn't afraid of anything. I remember the way she used to longboard around the neighborhood, barefoot and oblivious to the world. It seemed like lifetimes ago. She used to love watching sappy movies and eating pickles. Chances are if it was unhealthy or it made you cry, she loved it. I remember when we had our horror movie marathons and our countless sleepovers. We'd stay up all night talking about our dreams and our hopes for the future. Things were much simpler back then, not that they're overly complicated now it was just different. The future was so unknown and we both had a completely different picture of what our lives would be.

I had always dreamed of becoming a musician. I'd be famous and tour the world. That of course never came to pass. In all honesty, I never even tried. As I got older fame became unappealing. I wanted a simpler more quiet life. I still made music, just not on a grand scale. I sat on the bar stool and strummed my guitar. I started playin the first random song that popped into my head. The entire time I sang, Vince adjusted the sound and stage equipment. It was my version of a sound check.

"When I close my eyes I can hear you singing to a sold out stadium. Everyone is screaming your name and singing along." Selena smiled as she strolled through the front door.

"You have the quite the imagination."

"Would you like to hear about the rest of the ways I imagine you?" She smirked, raising an eyebrow.

I laughed. "I guess I have that effect on people."

"Seriously Dem." She said as she plopped down on a bar stool. "Why didn't you ever go for it?"

"I'm a simple person Sel. I don't need all of the lights and fame. I've got all I need right here." I explained. "I'm happy with my life. It's pretty much perfect."

"Now all you need is a wife." Ruby cut in as she wiped down the bar, her Australian accent almost comical.

Selena gave her the "yeah, it's never going to be you so back the fuck off look." It was quite humorous. Things between the two of them have them had been tense since they were first introduced to each other. Selena was aware that Ruby and I had a casual relationship and Ruby could tell that Selena and I had a very deep connection. They were jealous of each other. Ruby had started to hang on me more. I didn't really mind affection from people that I cared about but it bothered me why she was doing it. She did it just to piss Selena off. It worked too.

I felt bad sometimes about the whole Ruby situation. She was a wonderful woman and in all honesty a great catch, I just wasn't really looking for a long term commitment. She never talked about our relationship or lack thereof with anyone, which I respected. I was a private person and I wasn't really a fan of my personal business being broadcast. Having Selena here was almost a slap to her face. Selena was the physical representation of the reason that she and I would never be together. My heart wasn't mine to give away. It belonged to the dark haired girl smiling at me from the bar stool.

"Play _Stop The World_." Selena grinned from her seat.

I strummed a few random chords until my fingers automatically started to play the song she had requested._ "I don't know why, I don't know why. I'm so afraid. We're living a lie, living a lie. This needs to change."_ I sang as Ruby and Selena both watched.

"It's about me." I heard Selena explain. "The song."

Ruby crossed her arms and scowled as I continued._ "We can't stop the world but there's much more that we could do. You can't stop this girl from falling more in love with you_."

When I finished singing Selena clapped excitedly and gave Ruby a smug grin. She was really an asshole sometimes. Ruby stomped off somewhere in the back and Selena seemed extra pleased with herself.

"Jealousy is ugly." I stated as I put the guitar in its rack.

"Yeah. Luckily I look good in everything." Selena shrugged.

I rolled my eyes. "You're terrible."

"I know." She smiled. "Oh hey! Before I forget." She said as she jumped up off the stool. "My mom and dad are wanting to take a trip and they asked me to take my sister for a couple weeks, would that be ok?"

"Of course."

"Perfect. I'm gonna fly out and pick her up on Sunday. I'm excited." She grinned.

"I haven't seen her since she was like 3."

"I know! She'll be happy to see you."

"Ha! I'll be lucky if she even remembers me."

"She will. You're unforgettable Dem." She said softly as she grabbed my hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

I'll always remember how happy Selena was when Gracie was first born. Her mom had suffered a miscarriage prior to becoming pregnant with her. It was a very tough time for the whole family. Selena had always wanted to be a big sister. When Gracie was born, that dream was finally realized.

"It will be fun having a little person around the house. Joe needs someone his age to hang out with." I joked glancing his direction.

"You're not funny." He smiled while he continued to string his guitar.

"I think I'm hilarious."

"Yes. You. Me. Not so much."

"Aww, poor Joe!" Selena teased. "Would you like a straw?"

"What?" He questioned

"So you can suck it the fuck up." I said trying to keep a straight face.

"I hate both of you." He laughed.

"I'm excited to see you guys play. It's been a long time."

"A couple tears now right?" He asked.

"Yup." Selena smiled. "I'm guessing Demi is still the better singer?" She asked.

Joe simply held up his middle finger and went back to working on his guitar.

"You're on a good one today." I said, reaching behind the bar and grabbing a beer.

"I'm feeling frisky." She smiled. "I'm just really happy Dem. it's amazing here. For the first time in a long time I feel more like myself."

"It feels like home." I stated.

"Exactly." She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. "Thank you." She whispered.

"For what?" I asked as she pulled away.

"For being you." She said shyly.

"Are we flirting?" I asked playfully.

"I'm leaving." She laughed and walked away. "I'll see you tonight."

"I'm gonna let that one go." I called out after her.

"You're a pervert!" She yelled before walking out the door.

I sat there smiling like an idiot several minutes after she had left. She had that effect on me.

"She's not right for you." I heard Ruby say as she returned from the storage rooms. "She's playing with you."

I sighed. "How can you say that? You don't even know her, like at all."

"I know girls like her and she's hearbreak waiting to happen. I promise." She said. I could tell she was being genuine.

"Ruby..."

"I'm not an idiot Demi. I know that you and I have no future. It doesn't mean that I can't still be your friend. As your friend, I'm telling you right now she's not going to give you what you need."

"How would you know what I need?"

"Because I know you. You'll want all or nothing and I can tell she's holding back. What's going to happen when she can't let go of New York and that guy she left behind?"

"She happy here. She even said so herself."

"I think you need to open your eyes. You're blinded by your love for her. I don't understand how you can't see the hesitation. I don't dislike her because you're in love with her, I dislike her because I don't think she loves you enough." She said earnestly. "You can't see it because you don't want to. You guys have so much between the two of you that sometimes I think you mistake it for something it isn't."

"I'm supposed to believe that you're neutral?" I questioned. "It's not a secret how you feel about me." I said softly.

"You're smart Demi. Look in my eyes and tell me I'm playing with you. Do it. You know I'm not. I would never do that to you because I love you."

I believed her. She was completely sincere. "I know you're not trying to sabotage me. You still don't know her, not like I do. She would never lead me on. She's not like that."

"Be careful Dem." She sighed.

I thought about that conversation for the rest of the day. If Ruby was playing me, she was good. The seed she planted was enough to cause me to start doubting my judgement when it came to Selena. I was completely terrified that she was right. Selena had always been hesitant when it came to the subject of us being more than friends. She always insisted it was due to our close friendship and her desire to keep that intact. Now I wasn't so sure. What if Ruby was right?

I spent the rest of the day worrying with one thing on my mind...Selena. I knew if it came down to a me versus Justin situation, he never stood a chance. Or at least I hoped that was the case. I know for a fact he didn't know her the way I did. He didn't know that when she was mad she had a tendency to break things. He didn't know that when she was sad she would eat her feelings. Literally. I've seen the girl put away half her weight in chocolate. When all else failed she'd call her mom sobbing about how life was unfair. I know he didn't know all of her secrets, her hopes, her fears. Those were mine. She gave them to me because she trusted me. He was out of the picture now anyway, so what did it matter? At least I assumed he was. Selena had simply stopped talking about him.

I stood leaned against a doorframe behind the bar as the room started to fill up with people attending the show. As usual it was a full house. My eyes were immediately drawn to her when she entered the room. Her hair was down and it was slightly messy. She had on minimal makeup and a tight red dress. If I had less self control I'd be drooling. I watched as she scanned the room looking for me. Taylor and Miley entered right behind her. I waved when she finally noticed me and I told Vince to take them to their seats. Once the room was filled Vince gave me the go ahead to get started.

How and I took the stage along with his younger brother Nick. Nick had been playing with us for last couple of years. He was a good drummer and he fit in well. The bassist was a guy we met when we first got here. His name was Johnny and he was usually drunk or in jail for being drunk. He was sure currently sporting a bleached blonde Mohawk and several facial piercings. He always wore black and he never missed a gig. He was also one of the sweetest guys I knew. Joe and I played guitar and took care of vocals.

The set list consisted of a mixture of original music and covers. We did different covers every time we performed so no two shows would be the same. That was part of our appeal. At the halfway point of the show I decided to perform an acoustic version of a song that I hadn't done in a few years. I had a surprise for Selena.

"The next song I'm gonna play is one of my favorites. It's a classic." I said into the microphone. "Selena come on up here." I smiled as the audience started to cheer and clap. "She's gonna help me sing." I added.

She immediately turned red but made her way onto the small stage. She gave me a look that said "I'm going to kill you" but since there were so many witnesses, she opted to play nice. Vince sat up a stool and got her a mic. Selena wasn't the most prolific singer, but she had a nice voice. She had a soft raspy tone that lended itself nicely to acoustic songs.

"I hate you right now." She said into the microphone which got the audience to laugh.

I started to play a song that I knew she knew well. I saw her close her eyes as she took in a breath and started to sing. I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

_"Ohh thinking about all our younger years. There was only you and me. We were young and wild and free. Now nothing can take you away from me."_ She opened her eyes and looked directly at me as she sang those lines. _"We've been down that road before. That's over now. You keep me coming back for more." _

I suddenly realized how much this song applied to us. I took in a deep breath and sang the chorus as Selena watched silently.

She sang the next verse and I continued to look at her as I played the guitar. She had lost herself in the music and lyrics. I could tell she felt every single word she was singing. Her eyes were magnetic. They held mine in place and refused to let go. I sang the final chorus and the crowd erupted in cat calls and cheering. Selena's face immediately turne red and I stood so she could give me a hug. It was quick and comfortable hug and I found myself missing her warmth when it was over. She left the stage and sat back down at her table.

I finished the rest of the set then turned the bar over to the DJ. I found Selena and Taylor and as soon as I made it over to them, I felt an arm wrap around my neck. It was Miley.

"Let's fuck." She whispered in my ear before glancing quickly at Selena.

This was typical of Miley. She had no interest whatsoever in having sex with me but she liked to pretend she did. She was completely straight. She was on of those annoying party girls that hung all over chicks because dudes found it hot. She and Joe would hook up occasionally. We had met her one night downtown in the Gaslamp District. Joe and I had gotten completely bombed in one of the Irish pubs and somehow during that outing we ended up befriending her. Neither Joe or I really remember it, but that was nearly three years ago and she was still here so it clearly happened. She had told us the story a couple of times so we just went with it. She was fun to hang out with.

"I have no desire whatsoever to be tunnel buddies with Joe." I said rolling my eyes.

"You're a jerk Torres!" Miley snapped back playfully.

"Yeah. Thanks but no thanks." I laughed.

"Your girlfriend is fucking gorgeous." She said as she eyeballed Selena.

Selena shifted uncomfortably and whispered something in Taylor's ear.

"She's not my girlfriend. She my best friend. We've known each other since were seven." I explained.

"Really?" She scoffed. "I saw y'all eye fucking each other while you were singing that love song earlier."

"We just like the song." Selena interjected. "It reminds me of someone I know."

"Yeah. Her." Miley said pointing at me. "Anyway, you bitches are kind of a drag so I'm gonna find someone that wants to dance." She said casually before walking away.

"Wow." Selena mouthed.

"Sorry abou that." Taylor apologized. "She's not quite trained to be out in public apparently."

"Tay. Be nice." I scolded.

"She's rude Demi!" Selena said in Taylor's defense.

"Whatever." I said rolling my eyes. I knew they were right.

"I'm gonna go get Joe and a couple of drinks." Taylor said leaning in so we could hear over the music."Do you guys want something?"

"Yeah. The usual."

"I'll have whatever that is as well." Selena said.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "You sure."

"Yeah."

"Ok..." Taylor laughed before disappearing into the crowd.

"What did I just get myself into?" Selena asked pulling me close to her. "Can you hear me?" She said softly. "I don't like yelling.

"Yeah. I hear you babe." I smiled. "It's called an adios motherfucker." I said referring to the drink.

"Oh god." She grimaced. "What's in it?"

"It's gin, rum, vodka and tequila mixed with some fruity ass fru fru shit. It's fucking delicious." I explained. "Here they come I grinned." When I noticed Joe and Taylor headed our way carrying the bright blue concoctions.

We spent the rest of the night drinking and dancing. By the time the bar closed we were all three sheets to the wind. We got a cab back to the house and stumbled all over each other as we attempted to get into the house. I eventually gave up when no one could seem to get their house key to fit into the lock. It seemed like an impossible task. I grabbed Selena's hand and pulled her toward the backyard. I kicked off my shoes and she did the same. The sand felt cool under my feet as I drunkenly led her toward the hammock. It took use several tries, but eventually we made it into the hammock. Selena collapsed on top of me and we both drifted to sleep.


	6. Gimme Shelter

**A/N: Yay update! I didn't really proof read either so sorry if there any mistakes.**

I'll always remember the day Gracie was born. The second she came out, Selena facetimed me. She was crying tears of pure joy. The entire family was ecstatic. I was so thankful she shared that moment with me. It was so moving I ditched my classes for a few days and flew out to Texas. I had to meet her. I wanted to be a part of her first few days of life. She was so tiny the first time I held her. I'll never forget the way Selena looked sitting in that rocking chair cradling her little sister in her arms. It was a perfect moment. I committed it to memory and I carry it with me wherever I go. When I saw her holding Gracie, I immediately imagined her holding our daughter. The thought damn near floored me.

"You wanna hold her?" She asked me softly.

I nodded and smiled. I was at a loss for words. I was stunned.

She stood up and told me to sit. I settled in the chair and she lowered Gracie into my arms.

"Make sure you support her head." She instructed.

I had never been so amazed in my entire life. I stared down at the tiny person in my arms and I could only think one thing. I want one. As I studied her tiny face I realized she looked a lot like Brian. Her forehead was all scrunched up and she looked worried. Yup. Brian.

"She's perfect." I said smiling at Selena. "How's your mom and dad doing?"

"They're good. She's resting. You can visit her if you want. She'll be happy to see you."

I stayed in Texas for a few more days but eventually I had to get back to school. My classes weren't going to pass themselves. As I sat on the plane on my way back to Colorado, I realized that yet another Russo girl had stolen my heart.

Joe and I sat on the front steps of the house anxiously waiting for Selena and Gracie to get home. We both looked like a couple of unmedicated kids suffering from ADHD. We could not sit still. Joe would occasionally spit sunflower seeds at me and I'd throw sand at him. It was all very becoming behavior for adults.

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air when I saw the jeep coming toward the house.

"She's here!" Joe smiled, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

Selena pulled into the driveway and parked the jeep. I saw Gracie in the backseat pushing herself up so she could see out the window. As soon as she saw Joe and I, her face lit up in a smile.

"Demiiiiiiiiiiii." She squealed as she ran into my outstretched arms.

I immediately scooped her up and twirled her around. She giggled and it was magical. Her tiny arms wrapped sound my neck and squeezed as tight as they possibly could. The entire time Selena watched us with one of the most intense looks I'd ever seen on her face. I couldn't really describe it because I'd actually never seen it before. It was _new_.

"Did you miss me?" I asked her with a smile.

"Yes." she smiled as she gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Come her you!" Joe said as he approached me and I passed her to him.

She grabbed him and hugged him tightly. "Your face is all scratchy." She exclaimed.

"I know baby. I need to shave." He said sweetly which earned him a smile and a kiss on his scratchy face.

He put her down and she grabbed my hand as we walked into the house. He had such little hands.

"Who's that?" She asked as she hid behind my leg when she saw Taylor.

"That's Taylor. Do you wanna say hi?"

Taylor knelt down and offered the six year old her hand. "Hi." She said sweetly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Hi. You're pretty." Gracie said softly.

"Not as pretty as you." Taylor smiled.

Gracie grinned and smiled at the blonde. They became instant friends. Gracie took Taylor's hand and started to aske her a million questions as we mad our way to the back deck. Gracie gasped as soon as she saw the ocean.

"You live at the beach?" She asked completely shocked.

Selena laughed. "Yes."

"Can we go play in the water?"

"Of course." Joe answered. "Let's all get changed and we'll head down to the water."

"Sounds like a plan." I grinned.

We got changed and made our way down to the shoreline. Joe and I had gathered a bunch of buckets and small plastic shovels so we could build a sand castle. Halfway through building the castle, Gracie stood up, made growling noices, then proceeded to smash the entire thing. Once she had completely flattened it she insisted we dig a hole and bury Joe. After several sand fights and forced swims in the water, we had Joe buried up to his neck in sand. She nonchalantly walked away and left him there. I couldn't stop laughing. She was an asshole.

She ran over to Selena an Taylor and brought her chaos to them for a while. She kicked sand all over the place and tried tickling them as they laid there attempting to tan. I meanwhile dug Joe out of his sandy grave.

"She's a handful." He laughed as he dusted himself off.

"She's definitely a Russo." I grinned as we both watched her terrorize Selena and Taylor.

"This is nice." Joe smiled. "It feels like we're a family."

"We are a family." I said as I walked toward the girls. "Come on."

I ran over and grabbed Gracie. She screamed and laughed as I covered her face in kisses and held her up above my head. I lowered her so our foreheads were touching and our noses were smashed together. Without warning, I tossed her in the air and she let out a surprised squeal. By the time I finished my assault on her, she was breathless.

"We're gonna get dinner going." Selena said brushing her fingers against my arm to get my intention. My skin tingled at the contact.

"I'll put Gracie in the bath if you want."

"Yeah. That will be perfect." She smiled before walking toward the house with Taylor.

We gathered up all of our stuff and made our way back inside the house. I ran Gracie a bath and helped her get washed. And by washed I mean that we spent most of the time trying to get her long hair to stand up in a Mohawk while we shampooed it. Once we finished her bath, she put on pjs and insisted I read to her until dinner was ready. She brought me If You Give A Moose A Muffin an we settled onto the couch and started to read.

"Wait!" He said suddenly. "I want uncle Joe to read too."

"Joe!" I yelled. "Come read!"

"I'm coming!" He yelled back.

A couple minutes later he joined us on the couch and the three of us took turns reading.

Dinner was a hectic affair. Once everyone was settled and eating things calmed down a bit. I saw Selena glance at her phone and frown. Her brown eyes looked troubled and I immediately felt myself wanting to fix whatever was causing her distress.

"You ok?" I asked softly so no one else would hear.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She answered forcing a smile.

"Sel..."

"Not right now. Please?" She said her voice wavering slightly.

"We're gonna talk about this eventually Sel. I mean it." I said firmly.

She simply nodded her head.

We finished with dinner and Taylor and Joe volunteered to do the dishes. Gracie wanted me to tuck her in so with Selena's blessing I did just that.

"Will you sing to me?" She asked sweetly as she climbed into bed.

"Sure sweetheart. What do you want me to sing?" I asked.

"Elvis!" She said loudly.

"What do you know about Elvis?" I asked slightly shocked.

"He's the king!" She smiled.

I tucked her in and cleared my throat.

_"Wise men say, only fools rush in. I can't help falling in love with you."_ I sang as she stared up at me completely content. _"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can't help falling in love with you."_

I continued to sing as I watched her eyelids start to get heavy. I could tell she was fighting sleep. She yawned and snuggled further into the blankets.

"I love you." She said softly as her eyes fluttered closed.

"_Take my hand. Take my whole life too. I can't help falling in love with you."_ I finished singing and felt her snuggle against my side. I wrapped my arm around her and waited for her breathing to even out.

Once Gracie was asleep, I slipped out of Selena's room and made my way into the kitchen. Taylor was sitting on the table with her guitar in her lap furiously scribbling in a notebook.

"Well that's an interesting place to sit." I teased.

"It helps me concentrate." She replied without looking up.

"Alright then." I laughed.

She suddenly stopped writing and gave me a sly grin. "You are so cute with Gracie. That little girl adores you and Joe."

"She's like a sister to us."

"She makes me see Joe in different light..." She trailed off.

"Oh?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She smiled shyly. "I've kinda just always seen him as this disheveled bachelor dude that likes to drink beer and scratch his ass. The way he is with Gracie made me look at him like he's a desirable man..."

"Well, have fun with that." I said awkwardly. "As far as I'm concerned, Joe has cooties."

"Do you think he likes me?" She asked softly.

"I know he likes you Tay. He likes you so much he's afraid to say anything."

"Hmmm. Who does that remind you of?" She grinned.

"Shut up." I sighed. "Where's Sel?" I asked.

"She's out front arguing with someone on the phone. She didn't look very happy."

"I wonder who?" I frowned.

"I'm sure you already know who." Se said softly.

"I really fucking hate that guy." I groaned.

"I know Dem. Go save her."

I walked toward the front door and sure enough, I could hear her practically begging into the phone. I stepped outside just as she hung up the phone. She had frustration written all over her face. I could tell she was trying not to cry. I walked toward her and watched her face as she struggled to remain unaffected. She turned away from me and I pulled her against my chest and held on to her as I nuzzled my face into her neck. Her hair smelled like strawberries.

"I can't help you if you won't let me in." I said softly into her ear. I felt a teardrop as it landed on my wrist.

She pulled away from me an grabbed onto the deck railing. "I'm so stupid Demi." She said clearly frustrated with herself. She released the railing and wiped at her years angrily. "He's such an asshole."

"Stop talking to him."

"He won't stop calling and texting."

"Change your number."

"I don't want to fuckin change my number!" She snapped. "I'm so sick and tired of changing things for him! I can't so it anymore!" She said as she started to cry harder. "He's taken everything from me and I won't let him have this too."

"Sel." I said carefully. "It's just a phone number."

She sat in the the porch swing and buried her face in her hands. Her whole body was shaking as she continued to cry. I sat next to her and gave her some space. I didn't want her to feel confine or suffocated.

"Sometimes I feel like I can't breath." She said in between sobs. "I was never good enough for him. He'd take and take but never give. He criticized everything I ever did, but I still miss him sometimes. I'm pathetic." She cried as she leaned into me.

I wrapped my arms around her and swallowed the lump in my throat. "He's a damn fool Sel. You're perfectly made."

"The second I start to feel free again he takes it away." She whispered. "You give me my freedom Demi. Did you know that? You make me fly."

"I can't give you something that doesn't belong to me in the first place." I said as I pressed a kiss to her hairline. "You're not a possession that someone can control."

"To him I was. It didn't matter what id do. He was never satisfied. He was out all of the time. I know there were other women. He was always so cold. He wanted to keep me locked away. He didn't really want me, but he didn't want anyone else to have me either."

I was so mad. I wanted to kill the bastard that made her feel like this.

"He says some of the most awful thing to me Demi. I remember we were arguing one time. I can't really remember why, but he threw me to the ground and held me there. There was so much hatred in his eyes. He told me he wanted me to die." She croaked.

"Look at me." I said cupping her face in my hands. "You're beautiful. You always were and you always will be. Inside and out."

"You have to say that. You're my best friend." She whispered.

"When I say it, I don't mean it like a best friend." I said softly. "I look at you and I see a woman that anyone would be lucky to have."

Before she could say anything Talor poked her head outside.

"Hey Sel, sorry to bother you guys. Gracie woke up and she's asking for you."

"Ok." Selena answered as she wiped at her tears. "I'll be right in." She said before Taylor went back inside. "I gotta go." She sighed.

I watched her disappear into the house. My heart felt heavy. I wanted to fly to New York and kick Justin whatever the fuck his last name was, square in the balls. Repeatedly. It didn't take long for Joe to come outside and hand me a beer.

"She's tough. She'll work it out." He said as he sat with me.

"I know. She shouldn't have to though." I sighed.

"Demi, I know you don't want to hear this but she needs you right now. She needs more of you than she probably even realizes at this point. There's a reason why she came here when everything got to be too much. She's running to you Dem. You're what makes her feel safe. Don't let her slip through for your fingers again. I don't know if either one of you will be able to take it."

As I sat there and drank my beer, I realized that he was probably right. Feelings were complicated and whether I chose to admit it or not the nature of Selena and I's relationship was shifting. I'm not even sure if either of us were even ready for that change. It was the kind of change that terrified us both. There were only two endings. Together or apart. No in between.


	7. My Oh My You're So Good Lookin

**A/N: Update time. Leave me a review. As always thanks for reading. **

I didn't sleep well that night and I don't think Selena did either. At around four amI gave up on sleep and made my out to the kitchen. I put on a pot of coffee and read yesterday's paper. I glanced up when I heard stomping followed by an exasperated sigh. It was Selena and she looked exhausted. She had her phone in her hand and she looked hellbent on getting to wherever she was going. She walked over the junk drawer, pulled out a hammer, tossed her phone on the counter, and then brought the heavy tool down on its screen. Once she was satisfied it was completely destroyed, she tossed it in the trash and stomped back down the hallway mumbling under her breath. She breaks things when she's mad. She's clearly mad. I'm not even sure if she noticed me sitting there.

Like clockwork, Joe came stumbling into the kitchen about thirty minutes later. We were skipping our workout in favor of surfing this morning. It was slightly rainy and the waves were bigger than usual. It was my favorite time to surf. We drank our coffee in a comfortable silence then pulled on our wetsuits and headed out. We paddled out and immediately caught a couple good swells right off the bat. It was exhilarating. After my third wipeout, I was pretty much done. Fighting the undertow was exhausting and I was ready to head back in.

"Where's your sister?" I asked Gracie as I walked into the house to find her watching cartoons on the couch.

"She's snoring in bed." Gracie explained. "I'm hungry."

"Ok baby. Let me change and I'll make you some pancakes."

"Yay!" She said excited while clapping her little hands together.

I walked down the hallway and peeked into Selena's room. Sure enough, she was face first in her pillow and snoring loudly. I opted not to wake the beast and I carefully pulled her door closed so she wouldn't be disturbed. She obviously needed to sleep.

Making pancakes for Gracie was quite the adventure. She wanted heart shapes, Mickey Mouse, and happy faces. I was lucky if I could get one to look even remotely round. Once we finished with breakfast, we found ourselves engaged in a very intense game of go fish. It was so intense in fact, that Gracie was wearing a pair of my aviator sunglasses in an effort to maintain what she described as her "poker face". It was all I could do to keep from laughing. They were way to big for her and she looked like some sort of scary insect. We were also playing for money. So far she winning.

"Do you have a three?" I asked slowly.

"Go fish." She said quickly.

I drew a card.

"Do you have a three?" she asked.

"Hold up." I laughed. "You're cheating."

"No way!" She exclaimed completely horrified at my accusation.

"I might have been born in the dark but it wasn't last night." I said raising an eyebrow. "You're like a little thug!"

"Am not!" She said defiantly holding in a laugh.

"You're scamming me for money!" I exclaimed. "You might as well be a member of the mob."

"I don't even know what that is!" She said sticking out her tongue.

"Are you gonna have your associates send me to sleep with the fish if I don't pay up?" I laughed.

"You can't sleep with fish! You'll drown!" She said seriously.

"Child. I don't even know what I'm gonna do with you."

"Nothin!" She giggled. "Cause you love me." She smiled brilliantly.

"I think you're right about that." I said tapping her nose with my fingertip.

"You still me owe me fifty dollars." She said sweetly.

"Ha! No way!" I laughed.

Before she could say anything else I scooped her up and started tickling her. She laughed until she she couldn't breathe. When I finally let her go she ran down the hallway and disappeared into Selena's bedroom. A few moments later she reemerged dragging a very groggy Selena with her. She let go of her hand and ran off to watch cartoons.

"Morning." I smiled.

"I'm so tired Dem." She yawned.

"I've got to go to the bar for a bit. I can take Gracie with me if you want that way you can sleep." I offered.

"You're going to take a six year old to a bar?" She smirked.

"Technically it's a restaurant right now." I said wih a smile. "And yes, I'm gonna take a six year old to a bar. I'll make sure Ruby doesn't serve her any alcohol." I laughed.

"Well you certainly like them young." Selena smiled.

"Not even funny." I said raising both eyebrows as I tried tried not to laugh. My expression was a mixture of shocked and horrified.

"Just keep an eye on her. She's a handful sometimes."

"Oh, I'm aware. She scammed me out of fifty bucks while you were sleeping."

Selena tilted her head and looked at me quizzically. "She scammed you?"

"Don't ask..."

"I won't." She laughed. "Have some coffee with me." Selena stated as she walked into the kitchen.

"You're not gonna sleep?" I asked.

"No."

I followed her and waited as she made me a cup of coffee. I couldn't help but smile as I watched her make it exactly the way I liked it. She tried not to smile back when she realized I was watching.

"Don't look at me like that!" She said as her face finally gave way to the smile she was trying to fight.

"Like what?" I asked trying to play innocent.

"You know what."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do!" She laughed.

She handed me the cup of coffee and we went outside to sit on the deck.

"So...did you decide to change cellphone carriers?" I asked before taking a sip of my coffee.

"You saw that?" She asked slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah. You didn't see me?" I laughed.

"I didn't." She said softly. "Yeah. He wouldn't leave me alone so I just said fuck it and got rid of the problem." She shrugged.

"You better now?" I asked. "You've been a little up and down. One minute you're good then the next you miss him..."

"Yeah." She interrupted. "I don't think I actually miss him. That's just me being a dumb girl and feeling alone or whatever. You get used to having a warm body around and I think that's what I miss. He's a dick. I don't miss him."

"I'm glad to hear that. I don't like him and you shouldn't miss him."

"There's only one person that I've ever really missed anyway and he isn't it." She said thoughtfully.

"Oh?" I smiled.

"Shut up." She laughed. "You always make smile Dem. Thank you for that."

"I love your smile Sel. I try to see it as often as I can."

"You're good." She grinned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I replied as I looked away and took a drink of my coffee. "This is delicious by the way. Just the way I like it."

"I know." She said with a smug expression. "I'm pretty good at the things you like."

I laughed. "What does that even mean?" I said making eye contact. Her eyes had that spark in them.

"I'm pretty familiar with you and your tastes." She smirked as she brought her mug of coffee up to her lips. "Does Ruby know how you like your coffee?"

"Ouch." I said whistling. "No. She doesn't."

"She doesn't strike me as the kind of girl that would stay over anyway. She probably has another date afterwards or something." She said nonchalantly.

"Marie."

"What?" She asked defensively.

"Be nice." I scolded. "We already had this discussion. Jealousy doesn't look good on you."

"You know what looks real good on me?" She asked as she stood up and leaned in close to me. "You." She whispered in my ear before walking away.

She left me speechless. My mind was completely blank and I probably looked like an idiot. I sat there completely dumbfounded for what felt like an eternity. Did she really just say that? My mind was blown. Once I was finally able to collect myself, I went inside and got ready to go. Once I finished dressing myself I helped Gracie get dressed. She ended up looking like a miniature version of me. Selena thought it was hilarious and used my phone to take pictures to send to her mom.

"You look like a badass." I said to Gracie as we walked to the jeep.

"That's because I am. Duh!" She said with a dramatic sigh.

I started the jeep and turned the radio up. It didn't take long to get to the bar. It was a five minute drive. It was within stumbling distance of the beach which is why it was such a popular hangout. It was already packed for lunch.

I walked through the entrance and was greeted by several of the regulars. It was so busy, Ruby was helping wait tables. Gracie grabbed my hand as we walked into the back to find Taylor barking orders at the sous chefs as she went from station to station checking on the food. She looked exhausted already and the restaurant had only been open for about an hour.

"Hey Dem." she said breathlessly. "Oh wow. You have a clone." She laughed when she saw Gracie.

"Yeah. I'm sure she'd tell you the other way way around." I smiled. "Busy?"

"Did you really just ask me that?" Taylor asked raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry. I couldn't help myself. Is Joe here?"

"Yeah. He's with Vince going through inventory or something." She said as she checked the ovens.

"Alright. I'll get out of your hair." I smiled.

"Bye Taylor." Gracie said as we headed toward the storage rooms.

"Bye sweetheart." Taylor smiled.

I found Joe and Vince stacking cases of beer against one of the back walls. I noticed a huge pile of knocked over cases not far away.

"What the hell?" I asked.

"Eww. That smells gross." Gracie said pinching her nose. "What is it."

"It's beer. Want one?" I smiled.

"No!" She said shaking her head.

"I was walking through and I bumped into one of the stacks and it fell on me." Joe explained.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Yeah. Just annoyed." He sighed.

"Better him than me." Vince smiled as he continued to stack cases against the wall.

"Don't stack them so high this time." I said.

"No shit." Joe mumbled.

"You guys cuss a lot." Gracie said randomly.

"Don't even start. We all know you'd be doing the same thing if you were old enough." I said to her as she stuck out her tongue.

"Who says?" She challenged.

"I do not have the time." I said rolling my eyes dramatically.

"Whatever." She said holding a hand up and throwing around some attitude.

Joe and Vince were both laughing and it was all I could do to keep a straight face. She was such a sassy little thing. I hope her dad had a shotgun because he's going to need it when she gets older. She was definitely going to be a wild one. She followed me into my office and settled into one of the extra chairs I had in front of my desk.

"Can I play on your phone?" She asked.

"Of course." I said handing it to her.

We both immediay got to work on our respective electronic devices. The keyboard clicked relentlessly as I typed and she would occasionally giggle as she looked at my phone. After a while I glanced up and realized Gracie was staring at me. She had a very thoughtful expression on her face.

"Something on your mind kiddo?" I asked.

"Do you love my sister?" She asked quietly.

"Of course I do." I smiled.

"No. I mean like LOVE her." She said emphasizing the word love. "My mom said that you were going to marry Selena someday."

"She what?" I questioned. "Your mom said that to you?"

"Well not exactly. I heard her talking to my dad when I snuck out of bed for cookies." She explained.

"You are trouble with a capital T." I laughed.

"So are you?" She asked again.

"I don't really know sweetheart." I answered truthfully. This was an awkward conversation for me.

"How come? Mama said that you love her more anyone else on the whole planet. That's a lot as far as I can tell." She said as she continued talking. "If you get married, that means that you have to let me visit whenever I want because we'll be family and you can't say no."

I have to admit, she had clearly given this some thought. "We're already family." I smiled.

"I don't understand grown ups." She sighed. "Look." She said handing me phone.

I was surprised to see she had been looking through my photos. She had a picture from when Selena and I were both much younger on the screen. I remember exactly when it was taken. I was smiling. It was the type of smile that ate up my whole face. She had both her arms wrapped around my shoulders and I was reaching up to grab a hold of her forearms. She was leaning in close to me smiling, about ready to hide her face in my neck. I had been making suggestive comments to her during an awards ceremony at school. Her mom happened to snap the picture and capture the moment we both started cracking up.

"I'm not really an expert or anything, but I think that's what love looks like." Gracie shrugged.

"Ok. Well thank you for that fine analysis Yoda." I said chuckling. "Why don't you play angry birds or something?" I said as I gave her the phone back.

"Fine." She sighed. And just like that she dropped it.

I was quite distracted as I tried to finish my typing. How can a six year old read between the lines so perfectly? Was it that obvious? Selena had always been my person. There was no doubt about that. She was a part of me that I would always need. She was irreplaceable and I'd be lost without her. Our relationship was easy and it flowed naturally. I didn't let the way I felt about her complicate it. It wasn't her fault I was in love, well at least she didn't make me fall on purpose, it just sort of happened. I couldn't blame her for my feelings and I certainly had never used them against her. It wouldn't be fair.

After Puerto Rico, I had never been so certain about anything in my entire life. She was it for me. I know that there's probably numerous other people I'm perfectly compatible with and I'd be just as happy with them. I didn't want any of those people though. I wanted her. Trying to find the courage to take that final scary step however, was the obstacle that held me back. I think it held both of us back. I knew deep down she felt the same. She had to. It wouldn't make sense if she didn't. That final step into the scary unknown. The casual summer hookup was scary enough. We managed to make it through that unscathed, but the effects still lingered. I could still feel her skin under my fingertips. I still remember the way she tasted. I can still feel her hair as it brushed against my face. We were both so terrified of losing each other, we couldn't take that last step into a relationship. From where we were standing it was too risky. We didnt have a clear picture and the water was murky. Neither of us were daring enough to dive in.

Loving her was so effortless though. I didn't ever have to think about it, it was a given. It was automatic. To me it was like breathing. She was like oxygen to me. Without her I'd die. I realize that sounds slightly dramatic, but it's true.

Once I finished up at the bar, Gracie and I returned home. I was surprised to find that Selena was nowhere to be found. I picked up my phone to call her but quickly remembered hers had met an untimely demise this morning. My stomach growled so I made my way over to the fridge. I figured a snack would do me and Gracie some good. I noticed a piece of paper with my name on it stuck to the door with a magnet. I grabbed it and opened it. It was from Selena.

I went out. I'll be home around 6.

I sat the note on the counter and made Gracie and I some sandwiches. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching tv and waiting for Selena to get home. Gracie snuggled up against me on the couch and without even realizing we fell asleep. Her head was resting on my shoulder and my head was resting on top of hers.

I was somewhat aware of the door opening but I was too comfortable to investigate. I opted to stay where I was and catch a few more minutes of sleep. My eyes opened when I heard a distinctly male voice followed by Selena laughing. She was with Nick and they looked quite cozy. I immediately felt a flicker of jealousy and I stuffed it down just as quick as it had reared its head. There was no room for any of that.

"I'm sorry Dem! We didn't mean to wake you." She said aplogetically. Gracie didn't move. She was still completely out.

"It's ok." I said as I stood and stretched. "Did you guys have fun."

They both looked at each other and laughed. "You could say that." Nick smirked.

I wanted to slap the shit out of him. "Awesome." I smiled.

"Alright Sel." He said turning his attention to the love of my life. "I gotta get going. I'll call you tomorrow to confirm our plans." He said giving her a hug and quick kiss on the check.

"Perfect." She smiled. "I can't wait." She added as he walked him to the door.

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. I recognized the way she was looking at him. He was like a shiny new toy to her. Nick had grown up a lot. He was no longer Joe's skinny little poofy haired brother. He was a built, successful, and handsome young man. It's amazing what some muscle, a haircut and a job can do for someone's sex appeal.

"Thanks for taking Gracie today." She said as she followed me into my bedroom.

"No problem." I said softly. "She was a lot of fun."

"She loves spending time with you." She said sitting on my bed.

"So what's with you and Nick?" I asked a bit more forcefully than I intended.

"Nothing." She said catching onto the underlying tension. "He came by looking for Joe and offered to take me into town so I could get a new phone." She explained. "Why?"

"Just curious." I sighed as I sat next to her.

"Demi. Are you ok?" She asked, her tone concerned.

"Yeah. I'm good." I said forcing a smile and hoping she bought it. "So you guys made plans?"

"Yes..." She said slowly.

"Cool." I nodded. I stood up and headed toward the door. "I've got some...stuff to do." I said awkwardly.

"Dem. Wait!" She said as she followed me down the hallway. "Please." I felt her lightly grab my arm. "What's wrong. Something's bothering you. I can tell."

"I'm fine Sel." I said sighing.

"Please. Don't do this. Talk to me." She pleaded.

"There's nothing to talk about. I promise I'm ok." I said slightly irritated.

"Ok." She flatly before walking away.

I shut the door harder than I intended to. I needed some air. I needed space. I felt slightly claustrophobic and I wasn't sure why. She didn't do anything wrong but I felt like she had. I got in my jeep and headed to the bar. As I drove my mind drifted back to the conversation I had with Ruby. Maybe Selena was playing me. She always pulled me close and kept me at arms distance. She'd say all the right things then stop.

I got pretty drunk at the bar. Ruby cut me off several hours later and called me a cab. I had hoped to drink my feelings away and it seemed to work. I caught a grip and left my insanity right where it belonged. Hidden. I had to find the courage to tell her or I needed to figure out a way to live without here. I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to do this.

The cab dropped me off and I found Selena sitting on the couch reading. She glanced up as I walked...more like stumbled ino the house. She went back to her book and I made my way to where she was seated.

"What's going on in that beautiful mind?" I asked as I sat next to her.

"I've upset you I think." She said softly. "I'm trying to figure out why."

"I'm not upset Sel." I sighed.

"Dear lord Dem! You smell like a brewery!" She laughed. "Are you drunk?"

"Yes." I said with conviction. "Very."

"You didn't drive did you?" She asked slightly concerned.

"No."

"Good." She sighed as she leaned her head on my shoulder. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

And just like that. She reeled me back in.


	8. Give Me Love

**A/N: So I wrote this chapter when I was completely exhausted and the story outline said it was just gonna be filler anyway so...this is what you get. It's mostly Demi and Selena and Nick and Taylor and...no wait that's it, being cute. Anyway, read, review and enjoy. Or don't. I'm not your boss so whatever. **

The rest of the week flew by. When I wasn't at work I was with Gracie or Selena. She had spent some more time with Nick and as irritating as it was, he seemed to make her happy. I was ok with that. I wasn't quite sure what they had going on, but as long as he treated her well I would never interfere.

Fridays were always a bit hectic for me. Payroll had to be finalized and we had to set up for a show. I ignored Selena most of the day and I could tell she was a little annoyed with me. When the doorbell rang I opened the door to find Nick on the other side. Normally I'd be happy to see him, but his presence in my life had become irritating as of late. He was creeping on my girl and I did not find it very cute. He smiled as he stood there awkwardly holding a large box.

"Hey!" He said cheerfully. "Sel home?"

"Yup." I said as I left the door opened and walked away.

Selena glared at me as she came down the hallway. "You could've helped him." She muttered as she passed by me.

"I'm sure you can handle it. Aren't large packages your thing? Wait, maybe it's small ones...I can't really remember." I said sarcastically.

"You're an asshole." She said frowning. "Hey Nick!" She said as she reached the door.

I rolled my eyes as I slammed my bedroom door and collapsed face first on my bed. I was acting childish and I needed to stop. Jealousy was ugly and I needed to practice what I preached. Once I was able to calm myself down, I finished getting ready and left the house. I had work to get done at the bar.

I was sitting at the bar counter when I heard the front door chime go off indicating someone had walked in. I turned around to inform whoever it was that we were still closed but stopped when I realized it was just Selena.

"Will you stop thinking I'm dating Nick." She said as she walked toward me.

"Hi. It's nice to see you." I said trying to brace myself for whatever was about to happen.

"Demi. I'm serious. Stop. There's nothing going on between Nick and I. He was helping with me something and I'm starting to rethink the whole thing now because you've been acting like a three year old that doesn't know how to share." She grinned.

"What are you talking about?" I fumbled.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You are so standoffish with him, he's afraid to come to the house!" She said raising an eyebrow.

I let out a long sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm just stressed or something."

"Stressed?" She questioned "About what? Losing me?"

"Maybe..." I trailed off.

She smiled and placed both of her hands on my shoulders. "Demi. Listen to me. You'll never lose me. I promise. No matter what I'm forever your girl." She smiled as I leaned my forehead against hers.

"My girl?" I asked as I pulled away and raised an eye brow.

"Yes." She laughed. "Your girl."

"What does that even mean?" I asked.

"That's completely up to you." She said softly. "Now, are you done being a baby?" She asked. "I have something for you that Nick helped with." She said sounding excited.

"Are you trying to distract me with gifts?" I asked pretending to be unamused.

"Umm, maybe." She said quickly. "Wait right here. I'll be right back."

I watched as she walked outside. After a few moments she returned with Nick and he was once again carrying the large box he had brought to the house earlier. This time however, it was wrapped in red wrapping paper with a large black bow attached to it.

"Before you open this I want you to know that Nick helped me pick it out. He knows more about these kinds of things than I do. The rest of it was designed by me." She said with a shy smile.

Nick seemed just as anxious as she did for me to open it. He sat the package down in the bar and stepped away shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hope you like it" he smiled.

I opened the package and gasped when I realized what it was. It was a brand new acoustic guitar. It was beautiful. The body was black with a metallic silver pick guard. The fretboard was adorned withcustom inlays. I smiled when I realized what it said. The day we met was inscribed in Roman numerals followed by two sets of initials, hers and mine.

"It's beautiful." I said softly as I ran my fingers across the strings.

I picked it up as I continued to marvel at the the extremely thoughtful and expensive gift he had given me.

"I told you she'd like it Sel." Nick grinned.

"Like it? I love it!" I said smiling at Selena. "Thank you." I said pulling her in for a hug.

"I'm glad." She softly.

I released her and gave Nick a hug as well.

"It's a Gibson." He said with a wink.

"I know. It's perfect. In fact, I'll use it tonight." I said with a grin.

"I've got to run but I'm glad you like it Dem." Selena blushed.

"Will you be at the show tonight?" I asked.

"Yes." She smiled before he turned and walked out the door.

"Is the Cold War over now?" Nick asked with a grin once she was gone.

I laughed. "Yes."

"Good. It was getting awkward for a minute." He sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry about that." I said as I sat back down at the bar. "Have I seat." I offered.

He sat and smiled. In fact, I noticed he hadn't stopped smiling since Selena left.

"What's with the creepy ass smiling?" I said half serious and half joking around.

"She's in love with you." He stated as he reached behind the counter and grabbed a beer. "Completely and irreversibly in love with you."

"How would you know?" I said rolling my eyes.

"She told me." He shrugged.

"What?" I asked trying to sound calm. "She told you?"

"Yes." He laughed. "I was spitting game big time and she shut me down by telling me that she couldn't give me something that wasn't hers to give away."

"Huh?" I asked clearly confused.

"Her heart you idiot." He sighed shaking his head. "She said no to me because you already have her heart."

"Holy sh..."

"You want my advice?" He interrupted. "Too bad, I'm giving it to you anyway. Go for it. Just fucking go for it. She wants you bad Demi and I don't think she knows how to tell you. Make the first move." He said making eye contact. "She needs that. She'll never say it but she needs to be taken care of."

"Since when are you a relationship expert?" I said raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not!" He laughed. "She flat out told me she was in love with you. You and I both know she's not gonna be the first to make a move."

"You're right Nick." I said nodding my head. "I'm just messing with you."

"You love her too. Right?" He asked.

"More than I will ever be able to explain." I sighed.

"Then maybe you should tell her that." He said softly.

"I will." I mumbled. "I will."

Selena was running a little late for the show. She told me to start it anyway so I did. After about the fourth song I noticed her walk through the front door. She looked like she was in a rush. She smiled as soon as she saw me and have me a little wave. I nodded as I continued to sing _Catch Me_. By the time the song was finished I felt slightly nervous. I took a deep breath and adjusted the mic stand.

"I have a little bit of surprise for you guys." I said smiling as I spoke to the audience. I made eye contact with Selena. "This next song is one of my favorites. It means everything to me." I added as the band starting playing.

_"Give me love like her."_ I sang._ "Cause lately I've been waking up alone. Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt. I told you I'd let them go." _I kept singing and watched as Selena brought her hand up and covered her mouth. I knew this song would have an effect on her. It had a lot of meaning to both of us. I'd sing this to her over the phone when she was sad. She said it always reminded her of me and it always made her feel better. We both knew it was my way of saying I love you without actually saying the words.

_"Give a little time to me or burn this out. We'll play hide and seek to to turn this around. All I want is the taste that your lips allow." _I kept my eyes on her the entire time I sang. She never took her eyes off of me either. I watched as she reached up to wipe away the tears that had managed to escape.

I'll never forget the first time she called me in tears over that creep boyfriend of hers. He had cheated on her and she found out. It was devastating to her. She felt so unwanted and betrayed. I almost had to fly out there. That's how messed up she was. Instead I started singing this song. After Puerto Rico it always reminded me of her anyway. I was so mad that I wasn't actually the person that wrote this song. It summed up my feelings perfectly. By the time we got off the phone, we both had a mutual understanding.

_"Give me love like never before. Cause lately I've been craving more. And it's been awhile but I still feel the same. Maybe I should let you go."_ I was pouring my heart into this song and she knew it. She had so much raw emotion in her eyes. She knew every word I sang, every crack in my voice, every note, was for her. She didn't even bother wiping the tears anymore. She just let them fall as I sang to her.

_"You know I'll fight my corner, and tonight I'll call ya. After my blood is drowning in alcohol. No I just wanna hold ya." _I kept singing until I lost myself in the music. By the time the song finished everyone in the bar was on their feet. I turned the mic over to Joe and made my way toward Selena. She saw me and headed toward the exit. As soon as I stepped outside I felt her arms around me. I immediately wrapped her in mine and just held her.

"Are you ok?" I asked as I pulled back and reached up to wipe away her tears.

She grabbed my hand and held it against her cheek. "Yeah I'm ok. That song just does things to me when I hear you sing it." She said letting out a shaky breath.

"The guitar you bought me plays beautifully." I smiled as I let my hand drop back down to my side.

"Thank you." She smiled. "Demi." She said softly. "We need to talk." Her tone was very serious.

"About what?" I asked slightly alarmed.

"A whole bunch things." She sighed as she pushed her hair out of her face. "Will you come with me to Texas when I take Gracie home?" She asked. "It'll only be a couple days. I want some time alone with you. No. Wait. I worded that wrong. I need some time alone with you." She said the last sentence very softly.

"Um. Yeah. Of course. I can do that." I said reaching for her hand. "Are we ok?" I asked as I gave her hand a slight squeeze.

"Yes." She smiled. "We're perfect."

"You sure?"

"Yes! Now get back inside and finish performing."

"I'd rather stay out here with you." I said softly.

She smiled and looked down at the ground. "That's very sweet of you."

"Come on. I'll drive you home." I smiled.

I draped my arm across her shoulders and slowly walked toward my car. She had a habit of reaching up and playing with my fingers whenever we were like this. Like clockwork, I felt her fingertips as grabbed my thumb and rubbed the back my hand with hers.

I pulled up to the house and went inside. Taylor was sitting at the table doing crosswords and drinking tea.

"Hey." She smiled. "Gracie is asleep." She informed Selena.

"Thank you." Selena said in response.

"Early night." She commented after looking at her watch.

"Yeah." I said clearing my throat. "I let Joe finish out the set."

I watched as Selena disappeared down the hallway.

"Y'all have a thing happening right now." Taylor laughed.

"A thing?" I questioned.

"Yeah. A sexual tension thing." She said grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight!" Taylor said a bit more enthusiastically than I was in the mood for.

"You're stupid." I chucked as I made my way to my bedroom.

I walked in just in time to see Selena pulling her shirt up over her head and discarding it on my bedroom floor. She was naked from the waist up. She gave me a knowing smile when I didn't try to hide the fact that I was staring at her breasts. She pulled the comforter up over her exposéd chest, and laid down.

"Are you going to join me?" She practically purred.

"Umm...yeah..." I fumbled.

I got changed into a pair of pjs and climbed into bed beside her. She immediately rolled over and scooted her backside into me.

"Rub my back." She yawned, readjusting and laying on her stomach. "Please?"

I felt the sharp intake of breath and the goosebumps as my fingertips grazed the bare skin on her back. I pushed her hair to the side and drug my fingers up and across her shoulder blades. I could feel her shiver as my hands slid down her soft skin. I heard her sigh as I continued to knead and rub in all the right places.

"I love your hands." She whispered.

"They love you." I said before pressing kiss to her temple.

"I can tell." She said letting out a content sigh. "Hold me Dem." She said softly.

Once again she pushed herself up against me. Here ass settled against my hips and her back was pressed into my chest. She rested her head on my arm and pulled the other one access her chest so I was holding her. I was very aware that she was practically naked. I was thankful I didn't have a penis. I was a bit too excited and a penis would have given that away in a heartbeat.

I could pinpoint the exact moment she fell asleep. Her breathing was heavy and even. As I laid there holding her in my arms, I knew that she was the person I was going to spend my entire life with. I promised myself I'd tell her when we got to Texas. The place where it all began.


	9. All Or Nothing

**A/N: I think it's safe to say that this is the chapter you've all been waiting for. Thank you for reading and for those of you that take the extra time to review, y'all are awesome. I hope you enjoy the update.**

I woke up startled by the incessant beeping of my alarm. I groaned when I saw the fluorescent numbers glaring back at me, it was only **three am**. I reached over and slammed my palm against the snooze button. Fifteen more minutes. Before I could even snuggle back into my comforter, my bedroom light came on. I felt kinda like I was experiencing light for the first time. It was horrible. I was still extremely groggy and slightly confused.

"It's time to get up." Selena said sweetly as she sat on the bed next to me and rubbed my back.

"Hmmm?" I groaned.

"We have a flight to catch." She said softly.

I sighed as I flipped over onto my back and covered my face with my forearm. "You just had to pick fuck this shit o' clock as our departure time didn't you?" I rasped.

She laughed. "Get up grumpy. I'm gonna get Gracie ready."

"I hate you." I said sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"You love me." She smiled before disappearing through the doorway.

She was right. I did love her. I drug myself out of bed and took a quick shower. The hot water felt amazing. Once I had dried off, I pulled on a pair of gray sweatpants and a plain white tee shirt. I searched through the excessive amount of flannel shirts I owned until I found a purple and black one. Satisfied, I put it on and put my hair up in a messy ponytail. I bent down and pulled the legs of my sweats up over my calves and I slipped my feet into a pair of flip flops.

I found Gracie sitting at the kitchen table with her cheek resting against its surface. She looked completely unamused by the fact that she was awake right now. She was just laying there with her chubby cheek smashed against the table and a scowl on her face. I poured us both bowls of cereal and sat next her.

"You hungry?" I asked softly.

"No. I'm tired." She yawned.

"I know baby." I smiled. "Me too. Want some coffee?" I winked.

"Eww. No." She sighed. "I wanna sleep."

"Tell you what, eat your cereal and I'll let you sleep when we get to the airport. I'll carry you and everything." I offered.

"Promise?" She asked hopefully.

"On my life." I said placing a hand over my heart.

She smiled, lifted her head, picked up the spoon and started eating. Selena joined us a couple minutes later. She looked completely flawless as always. She was wearing a pair of ripped skinny jeans and one of my hoodies.

We finished breakfast and got all of our luggage loaded into the jeep.

"Is that everything?" I asked once I had put the hard top back on the jeep.

"Pillows!" Selena said running back into the house. She reemerged a few moments later carrying two pillows.

"That would have been a disaster." I smiled.

"I know."

"Can we go already?" Gracie grumbled from the backseat of the jeep.

"Yes. We can go now princess." I said winking at the cranky seven year old.

I pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the airport.

Once we got checked in, I picked Gracie up and made our way to our departure gate. Like me, she was extremely tired. Selena carried both of our pillows since my arms were full. When we made it the gate, Selena placed my pillow in one of the waiting chairs and I settled in comfortably with Gracie's head on my shoulder and her arms around my neck. I snuggled into the pillow and closed my eyes. Once I was situated, Selena covered us with the blanket and sat across from us. She pulled out a book and started reading. I would catch her occasionally looking at me over the edge of her book. She had a playful smirk on her lips.

When we finally boarded, Gracie was still out cold. I sat her in the window seat and once again covered her with the blanket. I sat in the middle and Selena took the seat closest to the aisle.

"I'm glad you're coming with me." She said softly.

"Me too. I haven't been home in a while. It will be nice to see Madison and Dallas."

"My mom misses you as well." Selena chuckled.

"What about Brian?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"He's ecstatic." She laughed.

Brian and I had always had a love/hate relationship. Im pretty sure he thinks I stole Selenas innocence, which was not the case at all. He knew I was a trouble maker and I think he knew how I felt about Selena. Luckily I grew up into a law abiding citizen and as I got older we had a mutial understanding. He liked to give me a hard time still. I didn't mind. He was protective of Selena and I respected that.

"He loves you Dem." She said grabbing my hand.

"I know. He's just convinced I'm the reason you shouldn't wear white when you get married." I laughed.

Selena rolled her eyes and groaned. "What a mess." She sighed. "If we're being conpletly honest, I would have preferred if it was you."

I shrugged. "Welp."

"Demi!" She laughed playfully smacking my shoulder.

"It's not like I didn't try!"

She blushed and hid her face in my shoulder. "Demi..." She mumbled. "Stop."

"You're so sensitive." I grinned. "You're just mad cause you found out what you were missing after the fact."

"Oh my god!" She laughed lifting her head. "I'm about to change seats." She threatened with a grin.

"Lies." I said pretending to be uninterested as I picked up my phone.

We settled into a comfortable silence once the plane took off. It wasn't a super long flight and I was excited to be headed back to Texas. Gracie shifted and leaned up against me and brought her arm across my lap. I could see Selena smile out of the corner of my eye. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Quit looking at me like you want me to get you pregnant." I said with a smirk.

"In your dreams." She said rolling her eyes.

"What makes you think you have anything to do with my dreams?" I said continuing to give her a hard time.

She laughed. "You seriously think I don't see right through you? You can't hide anything from me Dem."

"Ok." I said turning to face her. "What am I thinking right now." We were both smiling like idiots.

"Since you enjoy messing with me so much, I know that you're completely amused by how wound up you're getting me." She said making eye contact. "I also know you're up to something. I'm not quite sure what, but your little brain is scheming."

"My little brain?" I said trying to look offended.

"Yes." She said slightly defiant. "If your brain was bigger, we'd probably be married with 2.5 kids, a dog, and a house with a white picket fence."

"Well thank goodness that didn't happen. I would have no idea what the hell to do with a half of a kid. Would we have the top or the bottom half cuz..."

She started laughing loudly. "You're stupid!" She said touching my arm.

"It's important to know Sel." I said keeping a straight face. "Legs or torso?"

She kept laughing and I smiled when she settled her head onto my shoulder. "You're the best part of my life Demi." She said softly. "I don't think that will ever change."

When we finally landed in Texas I couldn't wait to get off the plane. I helped Selena get Gracie gathered up and we made our way to the baggage claim. Once we finished there, we picked up the rental car and headed home. I dropped Selena off at her parents house and told her I'd be back later. I wanted to see my family and take a nap. I knew it would be a long day full of people that were excited to see me. There was also something else that I was intending to do while we were here, get my girl.

I pulled up to my childhood home and smiled when I saw my younger sister come crashing through the front door. I quickly got out of the car and she ran and leapt into my arms. "Maddie!" I said as she squealed in excitement.

"I have missed you!" She said excitedly.

"I missed you too! How was your first year of college?" I asked as we walked toward the house.

"Insane." She smiled.

Once we got into the house she told me everything about her freshman year. I listened and asked questions and I couldn't believe how much she had matured since I last saw her. Time flew by and before you knew it, your baby sister was all grown up. I visited with my parents and Dallas and after we had lunch together, me and my stepdad went out into the garage to work on my truck.

"I figured you would have brought Selena with you." He said as he turned a wrench and loosened the alternator.

"I'll bring her by tomorrow. She wanted to give me some with you guys."

"She's single now I heard. Mandy had mentioned it the other day." He said casually.

"I know." I said with a half smile. "I live with her dad." I added.

"Well what are you waiting for then? Hell to freeze over?" He asked resting his nada on the frame of the truck. "You ain't getting any younger."

"That's why I'm here dad. I'm gonna tell her." I said softly.

"It's about time!" He said loudly. "I always knew she'd be my daughter in law.

I laughed. "Slow down old man. I don't know what's going to happen."

"She's loved you since you were kids. Somewhere along the way that love changed as you got older. I already know what's going to happen. Y'all are gonna give me and your mom some grand babies." He smiled. "I'm old and wise trust me."

"If you say so." I laughed.

We spent the rest of the afternoon working on my old truck. It had been sitting a while so it needed a tune up. I couldn't keep the smile off my face once we got it running. It was still as loud as I remembered it. I spent so much time with Selena in this truck. In fact, I fell in love with her in it. It was just as much hers as it was mine. I'll never forget the moment I knew I had fallen for her. It was a simple, short moment in time, but to me it was everything. I couldn't wait to see her.

I picked her up at sun down and just like she did when we were both sixteen, she climbed in and slid right next to me. It was an old truck so it had a bench seat. I draped my arm across the back of the seat and she leaned into me.

"You ready to go?" I asked.

"Always." She said making eye contact. She knew exactly what we were doing. "My dad says I have to be home by midnight." She grinned before breaking into a fit of laughter.

"Shut up." I chuckled.

I drove her out to the lake just like old times. When we were younger we'd spend our weekends out here with friends drinking and being rowdy like most teenagers. We took a long walk along the shoreline talking about anything and everything that came to mind. We laughed and reminisced about the past. There was a heaviness to the air and I know she felt it. It wasn't the bad kind. It was the electrifying, hurry up and say it already because I'm about to lose my mind and I've been waiting forever kind.

"Let's go back to the truck. There's somewhere I wanna take you." I grinned, grabbing her hand and leading the way.

"Oh?" She questioned. "And just where exactly are you taking me?"

"You'll see." I said pulling her into me so I could wrap an arm around her as we walked. "

We reached the truck and drove in silence. It didn't take her long to figure out where we were going once she saw the old access road we had turned down.

"Demetria!" She smiled. "Are you taking me to make out point?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Pshh." I scoffed. "No!" I said pretending to be horrified. "Why would I do that?"

"Mmm hmmm." She said giving me the side eyes. "You better keep your hands where I can see them."

"I thought you like it better when you couldn't see them." I teased.

She immediately blushed.

"You think you're cute." She said shaking her head and trying to hide her smile. She bit her bottom lip in the process.

"Let's just say I'm trying to right some of the wrongs of my past." I said cryptically.

"We'll see." She said folding her arms acros her chest.

"Challenge accepted." I chuckled.

We pulled up to the cliffside and I could see the city lights shinning below us. I stopped the truck and turned off the engine.

"Why did you bring me out here?" She asked. She tilted her head as she looked into my eyes.

"Because, there's something I need to say to you that I should've said a long time ago." I said softly.

"I'm listening." She smiled.

"I remember how you always used to have like a million different boyfriends. I used to ask myself how was I supposed to compete with that?" I said turning toward her.

"What if I told you there never really was any competition. That you would have won hands down without hesitation." She said slowly.

"I didn't want to lose you. I'm still afraid actually. But I can't sit here and pretend that..."

"What if you would have lost me because you never said anything?" She interrupted. "Why not take the risk."

"I'd never stand in your way if I thought you'd be happy. I'd give you up if that's what you wanted." I answered. "Why couldn't you take the risk in Puerto Rico?"

"That was different." She sighed.

"No it wasn't. I put myself out there."

"Did you Demi? I don't remember you saying anything about how you felt. You said we should try and see where it goes. I didn't want that. I assumed you just wanted to see if you'd catch feelings and if not oh well. I couldn't do that Dem, not with you. It would have destroyed me."

My heart was racing. You'd think that admitting your feelings and opening your heart up to the person that you have those feelings for would be a lot easier. It wasn't.

"I brought you here tonight because I wanted to do what I was too afraid to do when we were younger." I said taking a deep breath.

We were both facing each other and she had a softness in her eyes that I had never seen before. In that moment she had completely surrendered to me. I could see it and I could feel it. Before I could open my mouth and let the words fall out, words that she had patiently waited for, I heard her voice.

"Demi. I'm in love with you." She said softly. "I always have been and I always will be."

"Say it again." I whispered as I brought my hands to her face.

"I love you..." She said holding my gaze.

I got lost in the depths of her beautiful brown eyes. I brought one of my hands down and placed it on her chest over her heart. Like mine, it was beating rapidly. My breath hitched when I saw the tears start to slip from her eyes.

I wanted to say something, but words just didn't seem like enough. I opted to lean in and kiss her. I had kissed her before but this was different. It was kinda like one of those completely cliche romantic movie kisses only this one didn't involve rain, hanging upside down, or a near death experience. I kind of felt like I was going to die though. She had never kissed me like this. Before I knew what was happening she had climbed into my lap and I had pulled her shirt off. The steering wheel was starting to piss me off, so I turned us both sideways and pushed her into the seat. She immediately wrapped her legs around my waist as our lips continued to smash together. Her fingernails dug into my back as I unbuttoned her jeans. She lifted her hips so I could slide them off.

It suddenly occured to me that we hadn't had sex in a long time. At least not with each other. I also realized that I still hadn't said what I meant to say. I pulled back and tried to catch my breath. We were both panting heavily.

"What's wrong?" She husked, leaning up to kiss me softly.

"I love you so much." I said as I stared down at her.

"I know baby." She whispered. "I've always known."

"My heart has been yours since the day you asked me to borrow a green crayon. I just didn't know it until now." I said my voice wavering slightly.

She silenced me by pressing our lips together again. Once again, this kiss was different from the last one, it was slow and easy. My body started to ache for her. It was almost painful. That night, under the watchful eye of the moon we put our hearts in each others hands. In that moment she was all that mattered. I already knew her body, but now I knew her heart. There wasn't a single detail that wasn't mine. I gave her all of me and she gave me all of her. For the first time in my life I understood what it meant to be complete.

As we laid there wrapped up in each others arms, I couldn't help but sing softly into her ear. _"Find me here. And speak to me. I need to feel you. I need to hear you."_

I pushed myself up and hovered over her so our noses would touch occasionally as I continued to sing_. "You are the light, that's leading me. To the place where I find peace...again."_

She smiled leaned in for a kiss. "Don't ever break my heart." She said seriously. "I don't think I could take it."

"I won't." I promised.

And I meant it.


	10. I Love The Way You Love Me

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. Perhaps reviewing it will motivate me properly. Lol. Just kidding. It won't. I do what I want. Anyway, thanks for reading and as always I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Also, I didn't proofread or edit this chapter so if there are weird ass words that male no sense I apologize. Auto correct is an asshole.**

I woke up slightly aware that I had spent the night sleeping in a truck out in the woods, naked. I also realized I was alone, which was a little bit alarming but I was a glass half full kind of person so I figured she had woke up already and needed to pee or something. I know I needed to. I located my clothes-which were strewn about the cab of the truck and put them on. I laughed when I noticed her panties-thongs to be more exact, hanging from the rear view mirror.

I reached up and pulled down the visor. I examined myself in the small mirror and fixed my slightly messy hair. Once I was satisfied, I pushed the visor back up and watched her as she walked toward the truck. She had been standing on the side of the cliff looking out at the city below. I was surprised to see her wearing my old letterman jacket. I hadn't seen it years. She must have found it behind the seat of the truck. I wanted her in my arms so I quickly jumped out of the truck as she approached.

"Mornin." I rasped against her neck as I pulled her against me. I took a deep breath and smiled. She smelled so good.

"Hi." She smiled pulling away so I could see her face.

"Did you watch the sunset?" I asked tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah." She softly answered. "It was beautiful."

"You should have woke me." I laced our fingers together and we walked back toward the cliffside.

"I wanted you to rest." She grinned. "I figured after last night you'd earned it." She continued to grin as she quickly glanced at me to gauge my reaction.

"I earned it?" I laughed.

"Yes. Quite vigorously." She said as we stopped at the edge of the cliffside. I let go of her hand and lowered myself into a seated position. She sat down next me and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I should've don't this years ago." I said as I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Could you imagine where we would be right now if I hadn't of been such a chicken shit all these years?"

"Who knows." She said whistfully. "Do you want kids?" She asked suddenly, turning to face me.

"Yeah. I wanna have kids with you Sel." I answered. She gave me the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

"Good. Because I could never picture having children with anyone but you." She said softly. "Promise me that when we do decide to have a baby, we'll come back to Texas. I want to raise them here with our families."

"Of course. Whatever you want baby. All you gotta do is ask." I whispered in her ear.

She turned toward me and wrapped her arms around me and then she draped her legs across my lap. I noticed she wasn't wearing shoes. I shook my head and chuckled softly.

"In that case I want you to build me a house wih a wrap around deck and a horse stable." She grinned. "I want it to have a white fence and a huge backyard." She added.

I sat and istened to her describe her dream house to me in vivid detail. I memorized every single word she told me. She didn't know it yet, but I had every intention of building her dream home. Brick by brick. Board by board. I took in every last detail. It was always about the little things with her. The way her mouth would twitch when she was trying not to smile. The way she closed her eyes when she savored the taste of something. The little things.

"Let's go home." I said breaking the silence. "Your mom wants to see me." I added with a smirk.

"What makes you so sure of that?" She asked in a teasing tone

"Your mom loves me." I winked.

We walked into the Russo house and I immediately smelled pancakes. Selena laced our fingers together as we walked into to the kitchen. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by her mother. I caught her trying to hold back a smile. I was surprised she didn't say anything. I took a mental note to keep track of how long she'd be able to hold out. We sat at the table and as I sat there, I noticed Gracie was wearing an expression similar to that of the "grumpy cat." She looked completely pissed off.

I knew that Gracie wouldn't exactly be pleased when I left, I just didn't realize how attached she had actually become. She was downright morose. She was so despondent over my inpending departure, that I was certain she would be reduced to drawing nothing but creepy black circles much like the ones that they have strange possessed children do in horror movies. I had a plan though and like any plan regarding a seven year old, I had to get her parents permission. I wanted to get her a puppy. Puppies were a wonderful distraction from your favorite persons departure and I was positive a playful, obliviously happy, chewing everything in sight puppy, was the perfect solution. I also knew the answer would be yes.

It was a funny thing, but I had somehow managed to reduce the various Russo women to piles of putty in my hands. Mandy was no exception. I'd had her wrapped around my finger since I was like eight. She was easy. The sweeter the tone and bigger the smile, the faster she caved. It was Brian I had to watch out for. He knew all my tricks and they didn't work on him. Luckily for me, he did whatever Mandy said so like I said, I always got my way.

Once breakfast was finished, I took the oppirnunity to speak to Mandy as she washed the dishes.

"Need any help?" I asked with my most charming smile as I casually strolled over to her.

"Sure." She smiled back. "It's so good to see you." She added as she handed me dishes to rinse.

"I'll make it a point to visit more often." I promised. I meant it too.

"I hope so. Gracie is gonna miss you. I don't think she's very happy right now." She said nonchalantly.

"Yeah..." I sighed. "About that. I have an idea that I wanted to run by you." I said grinning.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this." Mandy chuckled.

"It's nothing crazy." I assured her. "I was wondering of I could her a puppy?"

"A puppy?" She asked slightly surprised at my request. The entire time she continued to scrub and hand me dishes.

"Yup." I smiled. "It would be a pleasant distraction. Plus she's at that age where a little responsibility is good for her."

Mandy considered my proposal in silence. I could tell her mind was going a million miles a minute. "Before I say yes, I need to ask you something." She said sounding a little excited. "Are you seeing my daughter?"

I nodded. "I am."

I was slightly startled when she let out a delighted squeal and wrapped her arms around me. "I have been waiting for this for so long!"

I hugged her back. "She's the love of my life. Always has been an always will be." I said softly.

"I know sweetheart." She said as she continued to hold me. "I know."

Needless to say, the answer to my question was in fact yes, and shortly after receiving the go ahead, I collected my grumpy little sidekick and we set out in search of the perfect furry little friend. It took me a while to get her to stop scowling and sitting there hunched over with her arms crossed firmly against her chest, but the second she saw the puppies, I won. After careful consideration she picked out a gray and white colored Pit bull. It was a boy dog and by the looks of him, he was going to be huge. We loaded him in the car and I could tell Gracie was excited.

"Have you picked out a name?" I asked sweetly.

"Hmmm." She said wrinkling up her nose. "Not yet."

"We gotta name him!" I said with a smile. I turned and examined the small, but actually ginormous puppy in the back seat. "He looks kinda like a Petey to me." I said glancing at Gracie.

She giggled. "Not to me. I think he looks like you! I'm gonna name him Demi!" She said with a smug expression on her face.

"You're naming your dog Demi?" I said laughing loudly. "He's a boy."

"So." She shrugged.

"Demi is a girls name." I said trying to reason with her.

"Not any more." She said in a sing song voice.

Once again I laughed. "Alright then. Demi the boy Pit bull it is."

We brought the puppy home and everyone was completely in love with him. He was adorable and absolutely charming. He was definitely living up to his namesake. His name of course, was the source of quite a bit of laughter. Even Brian thought it was funny.

"I'll be able to teach Demi to do tricks and obey." He grinned at me.

"Haha. Very funny." I smiled rolling my eyes. Selena of course couldn't help but laugh.

"He does kind of look like you." She smiled wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her chin on my shoulder.

"Sel. Baby. It's a dog. We do not look alike." I said nuzzling into the side of her face.

"You're my puppy." She said softly in my ear.

"Like all puppy's I'm all about eating a little pussy." I said suggestively. Selena blushed.

"Demetria!" She scolded. "Not in front of my dad." She said through clenched teeth as she smiled.

"Relax. He can't hear us." I said giving her cheek a quick peck.

We spent the rest of the day with Selena's family watching movies, playing board games and snuggling with the puppy. Once evening rolled around we headed out to my parents house.

Spending time with my parents was a very laid back affair. Eddie fired up the barbecue and we hung out outside by the fire pit. Like Selena's family, mine was also thrilled about our new relationship status. I opted to hang out with my dad while Dallas, Selena, and my Mom all gossiped.

"The truck sounds good." He said as he flipped the chicken.

"Thanks for your help by the way." I smiled. "I appreciate it."

"Anything for you kiddo." He said as he stole a quick glance over at the girls. "You really love her don't you?" He asked.

"Yeah I do." I said softly. "She's the one."

"Wait right here." He said before he disappeared in the house. He returned shortly afterwards carrying what looked like an old ring box.

"Is that what I think it is?" I asked as my heart started to race.

"Look." He said clearing his throat. "I always thought that one day I'd give this to my son and he'd give it to the woman he loves. I don't have a son." He said with a smile. "I have three girls. Not that I'm comparing you to a boy, but you're the closest thing I got. Big trucks, chasing girls, playing sports, causing trouble..."

"Dad." I interrupted.

"Let me finish." He said taking a breath. This ring has been in our family for years. I'm giving it to you now. She's the one that this ring is meant for. You're supposed to give this to her." He said pointing at Selena. "She's your person Demi."

"I don't know what to say." I swallowed as he handed me the small box.

"With that being said, when you give her this ring you're making a promise to her. Don't give it to her until you're ready. She deserves the best of you." He said his tone serious.

"Dad...I...thank you." I said softly. "The ring is beautiful." I said as I glanced down at the princess cut diamond set in a platinum band. The band had several diamonds embedded in it as well.

He pulled me in for a hug. "I'm so proud of you. You make me so proud." He said as he held onto me tightly.

"I love you Dad."

"I love you too."

Once dinner was finished and almost everyone was in bed, I took a moment to myself outside on the front porch. I had never felt so complete in all of my years of existence. I literally had everything I had ever wanted. I sat down on the porch swing and let out a long sigh. It had been one of hell of a trip.

"I haven't had a moment with you alone all day." Selena said softly from the doorway.

"Come sit." I smiled gesturing for her to join me. She climbed into my lap and laid her head against my chest.

"You're mom is already expecting grandchildren." She said yawning. "You better get on it."

"Ha!" I said loudly. "Too bad says science."

"Demi." She said softly.

"Yeah baby?"

"I love you." She said, lifting her head and placing soft kisses along my jawline.

"I love you more." I smiled.

"That's not possible." She sighed.

"Let's just call it even."

"Mhmmm." She mumbled into my neck.

We stayed like that for several hours. She fell asleep which was pretty common for her. I was her version of a sleeping pill. I wrapped my arms around and held her tightly. She was everything. I suddenly found myself very aware of the small box tucked away safely in my pocket. In that moment I had never been so sure of something in my entire life. My dad was right. That ring was hers and the longer it stayed in my pocket, was time wasted.


	11. I'll Give Her Forever

**A/N: It's update time! Yay! I apologize in advance for any typos. I don't feel like proof reading and since I write on my phone, I'm sure autocorrect has made it a point to make me look like a dumb ass sooooo...whatever. I'm giving y'all advance warning, this story is about to make you feel things. Maybe not this chapter per se, but future chapters will be a lot like getting punched in the throat so stand by for that. Please leave a review if you feel so inclined. Enjoy and thank you for reading.**

When Selena and I were younger, I used to hold her hand everywhere we went. It was the most natural thing in the world to me. Neither one of us gave it a second thought. We grew up holding hands. Back then it was just a friendship thing. As we got older it became a way to satisfy a need that would remain unspoken until recently. It all seemed silly as I look back on it. I still couldnt help but smile. Holding her hand is how it all began.

As we walked along the beach, I heard her let out a sigh as I felt her thumb stroke the back of my hand. We had been back in San Diego for a week and every night she insisted we take walks. I enjoyed time alone with her like this. She had always been quiet and soft spoken. Her gentle approach to life was a stark contrast to my "balls to the wall" strategy. She was more meticulous and I was more random. We were different in so many ways, but we fit together perfectly.

I loved her as she was. She was the type of girl who'd slide down the hallway wearing nothing but socks. She had a tendency to misplace her clothing when she drank tequila. She loved naps, Jack In The Box, pickles, and the color green. She looks beautiful first thing in the morning right when she wakes up, no makeup and hair everywhere. She's the type of girl that wants a huge kitchen not because she likes cooking, but because she wants room to dance in it. There wasn't another woman like her, and she was mine.

"What are you thinking baby?" She asked softly as we continued to walk.

"I'm the luckiest person in the world." I smiled.

She didn't say anything, she just smiled. That's another thing I loved about her. She didn't talk unless she had something to say. Words were important to her and she preferred to not waste them.

We finished up our walk and headed inside the house. Taylor and Joe were sprawled out on the couch watching _Gladiator_. During Selena and I's trip to Texas, they started seeing each other. They were a good match. Joe was head over heels for her. It was sweet.

"Wanna join us?" Joe winked holding his arms open.

"No." I laughed.

"You wish." Selena scoffed sticking her tongue out at him. "I'm gonna get some ice cream." Selena stated before walking into the kitchen.

I laid down on the loveseat and turned my attention to the movie. Selena returned a few minutes later with a ridiculously large bowl of ice cream. She tapped my shoulder and I sat up so she could sit. Once she was settled, I leaned back against her and continued watching the movie. It didn't take her long to start feeding me ice cream.

"This movie is depressing." She sighed.

"It's awesome!" Joe smiled. "Not depressing. Maximus is a fucking bad ass."

I nodded my agreement.

"Seriously Joe?" Selena said as her forehead scrunched up. "He spent years away from his family fighting to expand the Roman Empire only to have his country betray him and slaughter his wife and son. " She said seriously. "As if that wasn't enough, they try to execute him and he ends up a slave. How is that awesome?"

"It's awesome because despite all of that, he keeps fighting. He keeps fighting because he knows that someday he will be reunited with his family. He never loses himself to grief. He fights for his family and he fights for his country despite everything that's happened." I said as Selena looked down at me. "It's what I would do." I added before returning my attention to the tv.

"Exactly." Joe nodded.

"He's sad though." Taylor added.

"Well obviously." Joe said chuckling. "His entire life is destroyed."

"It's depressing." Selena said again.

The doorbell rang and Selena got up to go answer it. She walked to the front door, opened it, and mumbled what sounded like "Jesus fucking Christ" before slamming it shut and walking back over to the couch.

"Demi. It's for you." She said looking quite annoyed.

"Who is it?" I questioned as I got up off the couch. She didn't answer.

I opened the door and I was immediately confused. I didn't expect to see Justin standing there looking completely lost and uncomfortable. I immediately shut the door and turned around so I was facing the couches.

"What the fuck Sel?" I questioned.

"Make him go away." She said still annoyed. "It's your job." She added as he crossed her arms across her chest.

I narrowed my eyes at her before turning around and once again opening the door. Justin was still standing there like an idiot. A squinty eyed, smug little idiot.

"Umm...are you going to invite me in?" He asked awkwardly.

"No." I answered as I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.

"I need to talk to Selena." He said clearing his throat.

"No. You need to leave." I replied.

"Excuse me?" He questioned.

"You heard me." I said slowly. "Pound sand."

"Come on." He sighed. "I came all the way from New York..."

"I don't give a fuck where you came from." I interrupted. "You are not talking to her. She's not interested."

"How would you know?" He snapped.

I laughed. "Because. I know her inside and out. Quite literally actually."

"Wait...what?" He asked, scrunching up his face.

"She's moved on. You should too." I answered trying to be nice.

"She's with you?" He questioned in a slightly high pitched voice.

"Yes Justin, she's with me." I sighed.

I actually felt kind of bad for him. He flew across the country in an attempt to win back a girl that wanted nothing to do with him. She spent several years of her life settling for him and now he had to come to terms with the fact that she never loved him as much as she probably should of. He didn't deserve her anyway, but I still felt bad. He was so clueless he'd never understand why she left him in the first place. He was a douche.

"You've got to be kidding me!" He said as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Nope."

"This is bullshit!" He snapped. "Move." He said angrily stepping up to me.

I stood my ground. "No." I stated. "I'm going to ask you once again to leave. It's not a suggestion. It's not a friendly piece of advice. It's me telling you what you're going to do." I said calmly. "You aren't here because you love her, you're here because you want to possess her. The woman in that house is nothing more than an idea to you. You do not know her and she does not love you."

"She's..."

"Justin." I interrupted. "Let her go. Don't do this. I'll win and you'll put her through uneccessary pain."

"No. You're wrong." He said shaking his head. "She was going to marry me. We had plans."

"She never would have married you. I wouldn't have let her. Walk away." I said softly.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." He practically whined.

"I'm pretty sure I do." I laughed.

"You won't let me see her because you're afraid of the truth!" He spat. "You're afraid she will realize her mistake and choose me!"

His outburst annoyed me. I was trying to be reasonable but the insinuation that Selena would ever leave me for him was maddening. I snapped.

"Who the fuck do you think you are showing up at my fucking house telling me how she feels?" I yelled angrily. "You're a fucking idiot. You want truth? I'll give you truth. She hates you. You don't know a damn thing about the woman sitting inside that house. She's not your fucking possession and guess what bro!" I said shoving a finger into his chest. "You can't have her!"

He looked shocked.

"Regardless of what you say, you're not going to see her." I said as I tried to get my anger under control. "She doesn't want you. She doesn't love you. She apparently doesnt even have time for you seeing as how she slammed the door in your face and you're talking to me." I said with a shrug. "With that being said, she will be my wife. She will be the mother of my children. You'll always be that mistake she made when she was college."

I saw it in his eyes the moment he gave up. His pride was bruised but he silently turned and walked away. I watched him until the taillights of his rental car disappeared down the street. Something told me that I'd be seeing him again. I frowned as I walked back into the house.

"Is he gone?" Selena asked.

"Yeah. He's gone." I said before collapsing on the couch. Joe handed me a beer.

"Thank you baby." Selena said softly. She bent down and kissed me gently on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Taylor and I are gonna go for a run. Well be back in a little while." She informed me before she walked away to get changed.

"Let's make dinner." Joe suggested. "Steaks?"

"Steaks." I agreed.

Once Taylor and Selena left, we turned on the heaviest metal music we could find and started dinner. Steaks, baked potatoes and salad. It was the perfect menu. We drank and played air guitar the entire time we cooked. We sang along obnoxiously to every song. It was a blast. By the time dinner was finished we were both completely drunk and laughing at literally everything. Selena and Taylor returnd fron their run and found us in the hotub wearing snorkels and masks. We were a mess.

Luckily the meal we had prepared was perfect. We had set the table and lit candles. That small detail made Selena and Taylor find our drunken state cute since we managed to be so thoughtful. Once Joe and I got out of the hot tub and changed, we joined the girls for dinner. We tried our best to act sober and they spent most of the meal laughing at us. By the time we finished eating we both felt relatively normal.

"I'm surprised that dinner was even edible." Taylor teased.

"We're just that talented." I smirked.

"I think lucky is the word you're looking for babe." Selena chimed in.

"More like awesome." Joe smiled, giving me a high five.

"No more alcohol for you tonight." Taylor said to Joe.

I laughed at him. "You got cut off!"

"You either!" She playfully scolded me.

"Well shit." I sighed.

"I agree." Selena smiled. "With Taylor." She added as if I didn't know.

"Wanna hp me with dishes Sel?" Taylor asked my absolutely perfect girlfriend.

"No. But yes." She answered as she reluctantly made her way into the kitchen.

"Cigars?" Joe asked waggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah buddy!" I said happily.

We went outback and walked down to to the edge of water. Once we were both comfortable with our asses planted firmly in the sand and our toes in the water, we lit the cigars and stared out into the water.

"Selena's right you know." Joe said as he exhaled smoke. "We are lucky."

I just nodded in agreement.

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked as I reached into my pocket.

"Of course." He grinned.

I pulled the ring out of my pocket and handed it to him.

"Holy shit Dem!" He said as he studied the diamond. "Is this..."

"Yup." I answered, cutting him off. "It is."

"When are you going to ask?" He asked.

"I don't know. Soon."

"You should talk to Brian first." He said. "He'd appreciate it."

"Yeah. I was planning on it. I just don't know how to go about telling him." I said with a grin. "This is all shit that dudes worry about. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Joe laughed. "It's simple. Just talk to him. Be honest and that's really all there is to it. He loves you. You'll be fine."

"You're probably right." I sighed. "I'm gonna book a flight tomorrow."

We takes some more as we finished off our cigars. By the time we made it back to the house, Selena and Taylor had already went to bed. I finished my nighttime routine and climbed into bed. Almost immediately Selena scooted closer and I wrapped my arms around her.

I woke up early the next morning and booked an afternoon flight to Texas. I told Selena I had business in LA and I wouldn't be back until the early morning. Since she trusted me, she didn't even think twice about my misdirection. As soon as I arrived in Texas, I picked up a rental car and headed to Selena's childhood home. My arrival was a complete surprise. Gracie was completely delighted with my sudden appearance.

"Demiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" she squealed as I waked up the stairs an onto the front porch.

"Hey baby!" I smiled as I picked her up and lifted her in the air. It didn't matter how old she was, I was pretty sure I'd always try to do this.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and held onto me tightly.

"Well this is an interesting surprise." Mandy said as she smiled at the two of us.

"Sorry I didn't warn you. I don't want Selena knowing I'm here." I explained.

"Oh?" Mandy said raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to ask Brian for his permission to marry her." I said as I continued to hold Gracie.

Mandy let out a sound that I don't think I'll ever be able to properly describe. "Ohmygod!" She said as she wrapped her arms around me and smushed Gracie in the process.

"Mandy." I grunted. "You're smashing your child."

"Mooooooom!" Gracie complained. "I can't breathe!"

She let go and took a deep breath. "I am so incredibly happy right now." She said as I put Gracie down.

"Gimme a minute squirt." I said ruffling Gracie's hair. She nodded and I opened up my arms and hugged her mother again.

"Selena loves you so much Demi." Mandy said as she held onto me tightly.

"I know. That's why I'm giving her the rest of my life. Assuming Brian is ok with it."

Mandy let out a slight chuckle. "Of course he's ok with it. He wants Selena to be happy. You make her happy."

We stood there hugging for several more minutes.

"You guys are weird." Gracie said rolling her eyes.

"Let's go inside." Mandy suggested.

We let go of each other and made our way into the house. As usual, Mandy went ini the kitchen to set out some food. I learned a long time ago not to object.

"Are you gonna marry my sister?" Gracie asked as I sat down on the couch.

"Yes." I answered with a smile.

"That's cool." Gracie said as she sat down next to me. "Demi chews up everything." She added referring to her dog.

"That's what puppies do." I laughed. I still couldn't get over the name. "Wanna play with him?" I asked.

"Yeah!" Gracie said excitedly as she jumped up off the couch. "Come on!"

We made our way into the backward where we were immediately assaulted by an eager and happy Pit bull. We ran around like a bunch of crazy people until we could hardly breathe. Mandy insisted we eat and once we were done the three of us, boy dog Demi included, were pretty much comatose. We laid in Gracie's bed reading a book about dinosaurs. Gracie was snuggled up on my chest and Demi the dog, was sprawled out across my torso and Gracie's legs.

I woke several hours later to find Brian sitting in a chair observing the three of us.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up." He said softly.

"How long was I out?" I asked speaking low so I wouldn't disturb Gracie and the dog.

"A while." He smiled. "The answer is yes Demi." He added.

"What?" I asked slightly confused.

"You can marry my daughter." He explained.

"How did you know I was going to ask?"

"I kinda figured that's what you were up ro when Mandy told me you showed up out of the blue. I watched you grow up Demi. I know what kind of person you are. You're the kind of person that takes everyone's feelings into consideration. You're the type of person that would do anything for my family, so my answer is yes." He said as he leaned forward. "You love my daughter and she loves you."

"I...I don't know what to say." I said as I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Dont say anything, just take care of her."

I nodded.

"I'll wake you so you can be on time for your flight." He said with a smile.

I watched him stand up and disappear through the door. There wasn't a single moment of hesitation when he spoke to me. I couldn't help but smile. I was going to propose to her the second I got back home.


End file.
